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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 




THE AUTHOR AND FAMILY. 



FROM 



JUDAISM 



TO 



CHRISTIANITY 



AND 



GOSPEL WORK AMONG THE HEBREWS. 



f*. o;gilbert 

» » 
A HEBREW CHRISTIAN. 

Author of "Practical Lessons from the Experience of Israel 
for the Church of To- day." 



^_, — t- 



GOOD TIDINGS, CONCORD, MASS. 



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Copyright, 1911, 

BY 

F. C. Gilbert. 

All Rights Reserved. 



PRESS OF 

SOUTH LANCASTER PRINTING CO., 

SOUTH LANCASTER, MASS. 






<gCI.A2!)7939 






Iring flll|nat to Htwix 



O Christians, in the Master's name, 

Remember those outcast, — 
Th^e scattered ones, the Hebrew race, 
Tr^e shadows of tr^e past ; 
Bring Christ to view, 
And help the Jew. 

Like broken branches are the tribes, 

From God's own living vine, 
Yet tendrils may be grafted in 
And around the root-stalk twine ; 
Bring Christ to view, 
Aqd help t\\e Jew. 

The Jew and Gentile may be one 

In Him to whom we bow, 
Tis ours to give the light of ttuth, 
To teach them Jesus now ; 
Bring Christ to view, 
And help the Jew. 

Think what we owe the Israelites, — 

Their prophets spake of old 
The words of life from Heaven's throne, 
More precious than fine geld , 
Bring Christ to view, 
And help the Jew. 

Tr\e holy city is above, 

Jerusalem the fair ; 
And by and by the church of God 
Will all be gathered there ; 
Bring Christ to view, 
And help the Jew. 

Eliza H. Mortoq. 



(8) 



" I say then, hath God east away His people? " 
" I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham." 

" God hath not east away His people which lie foreknew." 

Romans II : 1,2. 



(4) 



^ iO 




" While Israel, weak and starving, cries to heaven, 
They faint, and know not why such grief and woe 
Beset their lives, bring leanness to their souls, 
Their outstretched hands are empty ! Christian, go I 

Give them not crumbs, but share the sacred Loaf. 
Haste ! give large measure, shaken down and pressed ; 
Lead them again to God's own table spread, 
Show them the Christ, their glorious heavenly Guest. 

That when the Father makes the marriage feast 
For His dear Son, around the table vast, 
May gather Jews and Gentiles, side by side ; 
No difference then — all one in Christ at last " 

—Select**- 



AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 

The Psalmist tells us in the word of- God : " Come and 
hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath 
done for my soul." Ps. 66: 16. For years there have come 
to the author many requests, queries, and suggestions con- 
cerning the way he was brought to Christ. Every Bible 
student knows that on account of conditions which have 
existed among the Jews for nearly two millenniums they 
have been a blind people concerning the redemption which 
is in Christ Jesus. Paul says that they have a veil over 
their minds. 

The author, having been in the ministry for nearly a score 
of years, has repeatedly been urged by friends to relate 
the experiences which led him to become a follower of the 
Master. This is one reason for the appearance of this vol- 
ume. Although the book has been in preparation for nearly 
two years, the many duties incident to the work among the 
Jews have hindered its presentation prior to this time. 

During the past few years there has arisen on the part 
of many of the children of God a strong desire to learn 
more about Jewish home life and Jewish ways. This de- 
sire we believe is not due to a needless curiosity on the 
part of the Christian people, but because there are many 
who are convinced that the time is here when the Lord 
Jesus is to give the lost sheep of Israel an opportunity to 
learn about His coming and kingdom ere He shall return 



8 author's preface 

in power and great glory. This fact has suggested the 
idea of presenting the customs of the Jews in a way that 
will make Abraham's seed more easily understood. If the 
habits of the Jews were better known, the children of God 
would enter more sympathetically into the life of the Jewish 
people, and would be better prepared to help them to a 
knowledge of their own Messiah, Jesus. 

This will give a second reason why this volume is now 
presented to the many friends who are interested in bring- 
ing the gospel to the lost sheep. The Jew is brought more 
vividly to the attention of the reader by giving a more 
clearly denned idea of Jewish manners. In this way it is 
hoped that many people may better understand how to 
bring Christ to view to help the Jew. 

It is the hope and the prayer of the author that the Lord 
Jesus may use the frail words and the imperfect expressions 
to bring glory to Jesus Christ, the "King of the Jews," 
that other hearts may love Him more and adore Him with 
greater intensity. What Jesus has done for Jews He is 
still able to do. 

F. C. Gilbert, 

Concord, Mass., 
September, ipil. 



TO THE READER. 

When the book, " Practical Lessons from the Experience 
of Israel for the Church of To-day," was published some 
years ago, the author received many encouraging words from 
readers saying that the Explanatory Notes and numbered 
paragraphs were a great help in becoming better acquainted 
with the work. That the reader might find much more 
easily the text references and the Explanatory Notes, a 
similar method has been adopted in this work. The figures 
in the body of the work indicate texts of scripture references, 
which will be found at the foot of the same page. The 
letters in the body of the work indicate a note, which will 
be found at the close of the chapter in which the letter 
is given. 

The number of the paragraphs in the body of the work 
is also given in the Explanatory Notes for easy and ready 
reference. Book references and authors are indicated gen- 
erally in the notes at the ck>se of each chapter. 

The Jewish background of the work may help the 
reader to a better understanding of many texts in the 
Bible not so easily, nor usually, understood. Hence the au- 
thor has endeavored not merely to make the work autobi- 
ographical but also instructive. 

The work is sent forth with the prayer that the reader 
may be helped in the perusal of its contents. He is asked 
to especially bear before the throne of God's grace the 
millions of the children of Abraham who have helped bless 
the world to so large a degree. 

f. c. G. 



"There are Jews everywhere, and to them the light 
of present truth is to be brought, that they may have an 
opportunity to accept it. There are among the Jews many 
who will come to the light, and who will proclaim the im- 
mutability of the law of God with wonderful power. The 
Lord will work. He will do wonderful things in right- 
eousness. What we need is an understanding of the word 
of God. We need to keep the principles of this word in 
mind, that we may proclaim the truth in its purity and 
harmony, as it is given in the Scriptures." 

— £, G. White. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 
CHAPTER I. 

PARENTAGE AND EARLY LIFE. 

CHAPTER II. 

A JEWISH HOME. 

CHAPTER III. 

YOUTHFUL EDUCATION. 

CHAPTER IV. 

JEWISH CONFIRMATION AND BEGINNING TO WORK. 

CHAPTER V. 

FAILING HEALTH AND LEAVING HOME. 

CHAPTER VI. 

ON THE SHORES OF AMERICA. 

CHAPTER VII. 

GOD WORKS IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

HOW GOD LED ME TO THE SAVIOUR. 

CHAPTER IX. 

CALL TO WORK FOR THE LORD JESUS. 

CHAPTER X. 

MY EXPERIENCES AS A COLPORTEUR. 

CHAPTER XI. 

A FITTING FOR THE WORK. 

(11) 



1 2 CONTENTS 

CHAPTER XII. 

BEGINNING TO LABOR FOR MY JEWISH BRETHREN. 

CHAPTER XIII. 

TEN YEARS IN GENTILE EVANGELISTIC WORK. 

CHAPTER XIV. 

RECONCILIATION WITH MY MOTHER AND FAMILY. 

CHAPTER XV. 

WHERE IS THE LORD GOD OF ELIJAH ? 

CHAPTER XVI. 

A GREAT BURDEN FOR MY JEWISH BRETHREN. 

CHAPTER XVII. 

HOW GOD LED IN OPENING OUR FIRST JEWISH MISSION 

CHAPTER XVIll 

AROUSING THE CHRISTIAN PEOPLE IN BEHALF OF THE 
WORK AMONG THE JEWS 

CHAPTER XIX. 

INTERESTING EXPERIENCES IN WQRKING AMONG 

THE JEWS. 

CHAPTER XX. 

SOME SEED FALLING ON GOOD GROUND. 

CHAPTER XXI, 

WHAT TO DO WITH THE OUTCASTS OF ISRAEL. 

CHAPTER XXII. 

THE PERSECUTION OF THE JEWS. 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

THE PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE. 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Page. 

Author and Family . . . Frontispiece 

Wailing Place of the Jews . • ' • 5 

The Chosen People . . .. . 15 

Father of Author . . . .16 

Mother of Author . . . 17 

Abraham Leaving Home . . . 27 

Jewish Woman Blessing Sabbath Candles . 30 

Scroll of the Law . . . -35 

Man Praying in a Jewish Synagogue . 40, 

Jews Casting Sins into the River . -45 

Jesus at Twelve Years of Age . . 48 

Large and Small Phylacteries . -5° 

Miniature of the Pentateuch . . 54 

Praying Shawl. Large and Small . . 60 

Mr. G. F. Fiske . . . .74 

Mrs. G. F. Fiske . . . -75 

The Saviour of all Men . .90 

The Penitent Publican . . 109 

South Lancaster Academy, Home, 

and Church . . 118 

Yiddish in Hebrew Characters . . 129 

The Late Pastor M. D. Mattson . .148 

A Gospel Tent . . . . 154 



ILLUSTRATIONS 1 4 

The Late Pastor G., B. Wheeler . .181 

Mrs. M. A Wheeler . . . 187 

Mrs. E. G. White . . . 198 

Jews Gathering in Front of Mission . 206 

Jewish Mission in Boston, Mass. . .216 

Miss J. L. Person Holding a Jewish Child 220 

W. R. Uchtmann, Our First Colporteur . 221 

Miss M. A. Sanderson • . . 223 

Our First Corps of Jewish Workers . 224 

The True Shepherd After the Lost Sheep 232 

An Open Air Service . . . .241 

Moses and Christ, Representing the 

Law and the Gospel . . . 247 

Sewing School for Jewish Children . 252 

A View of New England Sanitarium . . 254 

At an Outing at Melrose . . 255 

A Group of Nurses of the Sanitarium . 256 

Becky, the Motherless Girl . . 267 

One of the Believers in Christ . . 275 
Jew Offering His Substitute for 

Atonement . . . .281 

A View of Home, Concord, Mass. . . 29.5 

Our First Church School at the Home . 299 

Mrs. Anna Vanderbilt . . . 301 

Dedication of the Good Tidings Home . 304 

For Having Been Baptized into Christ . 306 



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CHAPTER I. 



PARENTAGE AND EARLY LIFE. 



I. The parents of the writer were born in Russia, and 
having both been reared as strictly orthodox Jews, they 
followed very closely the laws and customs which had been 
handed down among the Jews for many generations. Like 
thousands of others, they sought to flee from the persecu- 
tions of Russia ; for the Jews there are not allowed to live, 
and are scarcely allowed to die. For centuries the perse- 
cutions of the Jews have been terrible, and the reader can 
hardly imagine the awful things which are perpetrated 
against the Jews ; the most of the persecutions are carried 
on in the name of Christianity, (a) 



16 



JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 




PICTURE OF MY FATHER. 



PARENTAGE AND EARLY LIFE 



17 




PICTURE OF MY MOTHER. 



1 8 ' JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

2. Soon after their marriage, my parents left the land of 
their oppression, and went to Germany, where they re- 
mained a few years. They were married young, as is cus- 
tomary among the orthodox Jews ; for it is one of the 
rabbinical regulations and strict commands. In the 
" Ethics of the Fathers," one of the most stringent com- 
mentaries, it is commanded that marriage must take place 
at eighteen, (b) 

3. After a brief stay in Germany, they went to Eng- 
land, where were born to them eight children, the writer 
being the youngest of the family. It is the earnest desire 
of the pious Jewish parent that at least one of the children 
of the family shall be a rabbi, or teacher. Of course it is 
desirable that there be more than one, as a teacher, or 
rabbi, brings much honor to his family. There have been 
so many laws and commands made by the rabbis concern- 
ing themselves, that a rabbi has come to be regarded as a 
sort of deity. 

4. That the reader may form a clearer conception of 
what the rabbis have done, we here insert one law as taken 
from the " Ethics of the Fathers : " " Thou must consider 
no honor greater than the honor of the rabbi, and no fear 
greater than the fear of the rabbi. The wise men have 
said, ' The fear of thy rabbi is as the fear of God.' " It 
was no doubt because of this attitude on the part of the 
rabbis, and the fear of men thus produced upon the people, 
that the, Saviour told the Jews not to desire the title of 
" Rabbi." z 

1 Man. 23:6-8. 



PARENTAGE AND EARLY LIFE 1 9 

5. The father of our family was exceedingly pious, in 
many respects more so than the average strict orthodox Jew. 
Three times a day he would attend the synagogue service, 2 
besides spending a large share of the Sabbath day in re- 
ligious devotion, both in the synagogue and in the home. 
In fact, every thought of his life seemed to be religious 
from the standpoint of the law and of the interpretation of 
it as expounded by the rabbis. 

6. It was in the midst of such an atmosphere that the 
writer appeared in the humble home in London, on Sep- 
tember 30, 1867. According to the Hebrew reckoning of 
time, it was on the second day of the Jewish New Year, (c) 
It must be remembered that the orthodox Jews, even in 
their dispersion, follow strictly Jewish ways and methods ; 
and when any event is to take place, it is always considered 
from the Jewish reckoning. 

7. As I was born on the evening of the second day, it 
was practically part of the next day, and just one week be- 
fore the Day of Atonement. 3 It is generally known that 
the Jews to this day practice the rite of circumcision which 
God gave to Abraham ; 4 and on the eighth day, the male 
child has to be circumcised. This rite is so highly re- 
garded, that however bad a person may be, whatever his 
sins are, however heinous, if he will only follow out this 
ceremony, and have this rite performed, all other things 
will be forgiven him, 

8. The familiar reader of the New Testament can appre- 
ciate ' something of the multitudinous traditions the Jews 

2 Ps. 55 : 17 ; Dan. 6 : 10. 3 Lev. 23 : 26, 27. 4 Gen. 17 : 9-13 ; John 7 : 22, 23. 



20 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

had on Sabbath observance, from the experiences the 
Saviour had with the rabbis. s But as strict as were these 
teachers, circumcision was always allowed on the Sabbath. 
This the Saviour Himself reminded them, when they were 
trying to condemn Him for performing some good work on 
that day. In fact, the rabbis go still further, and claim that 
the reason why the Lord made the world was that He 
might create man upon it, so that this important rite of 
circumcision might be performed. Therefore, everything 
in the world depends upon the carrying out of this ceremony. 

9. As a result of the abundance of these customs and 
traditions, the Jews are a very superstitious people. Every- 
thing has certain signs and peculiar meanings. So if a 
child is born just one week before the Day of Atonement, 
it is considered unusual and remarkable, because the cir- 
cumcision will have to take place on the Day of Atonement. 
This day is of great sacredness to the Jews. More will be 
said concerning this in future chapters, (d) It was de- 
cided by the parents that God must have some peculiar 
work for this child to do, and therefore the circumcision 
must take place, not only on this , Day of Atonement, but 
also in the Great Synagogue of London. This synagogue 
is located in the very heart of Jewry, and is regarded as 
the center of all religious life throughout the United King- 
dom and all the British possessions, (e) 

1 o. In connection with this synagogue they had the Beth 
Din, the house of judgment, a place where all important 
questions which affected the Jewish community were con- 

" • ' - ■- ' * Matt: 15 • 1-9/ ■■.-.... - *•". • 



PARENTAGE AND EARLY LIFE 2 1 

sidered and discussed. It was here that Dayan> the judge, 
had his office, as did also the Chief Rabbi of all the Jews 
in the territory of England, and it was with this synagogue 
that the Rothchilds and other of the most wealthy and 
pious Jews were connected. 

1 1 . The writer's godfather, and the assistants at this 
service were the most devoted Jews of the synagogue, and 
when the Day of Atonement was over, his parents were 
the recipients of many valuable and costly gifts, besides 
many Jewish benedictions. It was felt that Jehovah must 
have something unusual in store for the child and the 
family; and it was decided that if his life were spared, he 
would be the rabbi, or teacher, of the family. From earliest 
infancy everything was done that Jewish parents could do 
to keep this thought uppermost in the child's mind ; all 
teaching and praying had this in view. 6 

12. The Jews still hope and pray and look for Messiah 
to come the first time (/) ; and they hope that if from his 
earliest childhood they instil correctly the true teaching in 
the child's mind, they will be rewarded with a rabbi who 
shall be not only a great teacher, but perhaps a forerunner 
of the Messiah himself, (g) This is the thought and hope 
in every pious mother's breast, as she tenderly and carefully 
cares for the babe in her arms. 

6 Deut. 6 : 6, 7. 



2 2 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 

Paragraph 1 (a). — See chapter 22 of this book, on the "Persecutions of 
the Jews." 

Par. 2 (b). — Rabbi Judah Ben Tamai says : " At five years of age a child 
should study the Bible ; at ten the Mishna ; at thirteen to observe 
the precepts ; at fifteen to study the Gemara ; at eighteen to enter 
into wedlock." 

Par. 6 (c). — See " Practical Lessons from the Experience of Israel," by the 
author, p. 317. 

Par. 9 {d). — See chapter 3, " Youthful Education." 

Par. 9 (*).— See " Children of the Ghetto," by Zangwill. 

Par. 12 (/). — In the "Jewish Daily Prayer Book," English edition, in 
the first prayer, called " Yigdol," is found the following statement : 
" He will send at the end of the days our Messiah." 

Par. 12 {g ). — Doubtless this idea has been in vogue for many centuries, 
and had its origin in Ruth 4 : 14, 15. 



PARENTAGE AND EARLY LIFE 23 



Dos't mind how in the olden days 
The children did hosannas sing, 

As Christ came to Jerusalem ? 

Sweet heralds of the coming King. 

To-day from little Jewish tongues 
I've heard, oh wondrous melody, 

That dear old hymn, " I've Found a 
Friend in Jesus," He is all to me. 

Dids't read how Rachel o'er her babes, 
Uncomforted and hopeless, wept, 

When Herod slew the innocents, 
And Judah's homes with sorrow swept ? 

To-day I've seen a Rachel weep 
Above a still, white childish form, 

While w T hispered word of Jesus soothed 
The agony, and calmed the storm. 

Dids't ever see a hardened face 

Grow soft and gentle as they heard 

The story of the dying Christ, 

And how he rose, — from God's own word ? 

Dear friends, I've seen them come to scoff, 
And go away to weep and pray. 

All things that came to pass of old, 
Are living truths again to-day. 

Minnie A. Sanderson. 



24 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

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CHAPTER II. 



A. JEWISH HOME. 

1. Inasmuch as the orthodox Jews are the same the 
world over, it will be in place to give the reader a clear 
idea of a Jewish home, that he may better understand the 
social as well as the spiritual atmosphere which pervades 
a Jewish house. He will better understand the Jewish re- 
ligion, and why it is that the Jews as a people, while claim- 
ing to l?e loyal to Moses and the prophets, are at the same 
time bitter against the Christian religion, especially as it is 
expressed in the teachings of the New Testament. I 

2. It should be remembered that there is nothing, 
absolutely nothing, which concerns the Jew but what is 
regulated by the rabbis. All their teachings have been 
collected, and, as a result, we have what is known as the 
" Talmud." The Talmud is in reality a commentary on 
the Mishna, and the Mishna is a commentary on the Old 
Testament. The Mishna contains the comments which 
the rabbis and scholars have made concerning the different 
parts of the Bible, and the Talmud consists of the com- 
ments the rabbis have made on the Mishna. (a) 

3. It is not infrequent, when one desires the authority 
of a certain custom, to say that Rabbi so-and-so said in the 
name of another rabbi, who heard it from some other rabbi, 

(25) 
1 John 9 : 28, 29. . 



26 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

who was told it by a disciple of a certain great teacher, or 
tana. To illustrate : In the Talmudic tract, Erubin, mix- 
ture, is contained the following discussion : " Said Rabbi 
Assi in the name of Rabbi Johannan, ' A courtyard must 
have two enclosures.' Said Rabbi Zera to Rabbi Assi, 
* Did Rabbi Johannan indeed say so ? Didst thou not thy- 
self state in the name of Rabbi Johannan, that the enclosure 
of a courtyard must measure at least four ells ? And if 
thou wouldst explain Rabbi Johannan' s dictum to signify 
that the enclosures would have to be four ells on each side 
of the angle, did not Rabbi Adar bar Abhimi state before 
Rabbi Hanima bar Papa ?' " etc., etc. 

4. To the believing parents, everything that is taught is 
true, no matter what it is ; and this same principle is incul- 
cated everywhere. The child from infancy is taught that 
whatever it is told is right, and no questions may be asked as 
to the how or why of things. 

5. The father is the priest and ruler of the household. 
This is true in the absolute. His word is law, and his 
authority is indisputable. He endeavors to train his family 
in the fear of the Lord, and his ideas of things are supposed 
to be accurate. Every one has to be in complete submis- 
sion, from the mother to the youngest child ; and, while the 
head of the family endeavors to make all others happy, 
happiness must be found in harmony with what he says 
and does. 

6. The basis for this strict obedience and mandatory 
authority is taken from the words of the Lord concerning 
Abraham : " For I know him, that he will command his 
children and his household after him, and they shall keep 



A JEWISH HOME 




28 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment." Gen. 
18: 19. The rabbis claim that this means that it was 
God's will that Abraham should command his family to do 
his bidding. Inasmuch as Abraham is the father of the 
Jews, it is the bounden duty of every father to see that his 
household does as he tells them. 

7. The reader can perhaps better appreciate what the 
Saviour and John the Baptist meant when they told the 
Jews not to make their boast of Abraham, that he was 
their father, and they were his children. 2 To be a child 
of Abraham meant to do as Abraham did. 3 But this the 
masses of the Jews did not do. 

8. The mother has very little to do in controlling the 
family, or in influencing the children, save that she is to do 
as the husband says, or as she has been taught by her 
parents. It should be remembered that the rabbis have 
so perverted the teachings of the word of God that the 
girl and mother are of very little use save in doing culinary 
work and looking after the affairs of the house. This is 
due largely to the misinterpretation of the Scripture, and 
perversion of the truth. Here is an example or two : 

" There are ten sorts of disqualification, and every one in 
whom one of them is found, he is disqualified from giving 
evidence ; and these are they, — women, slaves, children, 
idiots, deaf persons, the blind, the wicked, the despised, 
relatives, and those interested in their testimony. Behold 
these are the ten." — Hilcoth Adus, " Laws of Witness!' 

9. We here see that women are placed in the same class 

2 Matt. 3:9; John 8 : 39. 3 John 8 : 39. 



A JEWISH HOME 29 

with slaves, idiots, and wicked persons. This is entirely 
contrary to the word of God. But the rabbis seek to free 
themselves from embarrassment by saying that the reason 
" women are disqualified by the law from giving testimony," 
is because the Scripture says that evidence must be given 
by the "mouth of two or three witnesses," and the word 
witnesses is in the masculine gender, and not in the 
feminine. 4 And they further state that the law says, 
Thou shalt teach thy children diligently. 5 Here also the 
word children, -la-vo-necho f literally means male children, 
and not female. 

10. Many other texts are used to support their wrong 
and erroneous theory, till they have convinced the masses 
of the Jews that woman is not only incapable of bearing 
testimony, but is irresponsible in religious life. This is 
evident from the two following prayers, which are offered 
daily in the synagogue, and from the law which the rabbis 
have made. Here are the prayers. The man's prayer: 

"Blessed art thou, O Lord, our God, King of the Uni- 
verse, who hath not made me a woman." The woman 
prays :. " Blessed art thou, O Lord, our God, King of the 
Universe, who hath made me according to His will." 
Should there be a thousand persons in the synagogue 
gathered for worship, the service could not begin till there 
were at least ten males, and each male must be not less 
than thirteen years old. Here is the law : " It is neces- 
sary that all. these ten be free and adult men.", (b) 
-rrr" Laws of Life." . ... .,/ c;- 

1 1 . Thus woman not only has been degraded, but has 

«.Deujt.-17.:6; 19:15,, *Deut.:6:7. 



30 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

been made unusually irresponsible. So that from the birth 
of the girl till her marriage, the father is responsible for 
her ; and from her marriage till her death, her husband 
bears her religious and moral responsibility. Should she, 
however, remain unmarried, she is obliged to bewail her 
virginity. 6 

12. It must be said, however, that the children are 
taught obedience to the mother, but this is due largely to 
the influence of the father, enforcing it upon the child. 
The mother seeks to bring up the child to the best of her 
ability in the fear of God, so far as she has been orally in- 
structed. The reader must recognize that, in view of the 
rabbinical teaching concerning women, very few of them 
are educated in European countries where the rabbis hold 
sway, and where orthodoxy has preeminence. But the girls 
are taught, from generation to generation, by oral instruction 
from the parents. This is faithfully treasured, and the 
mother does her best to impart it to the child ; for the more 
effectively she performs this labor, the more will be her re- 
ward in heaven, and the more will heaven look with favor 
upon her efforts, and will give her a son who will be of 
much service in the cause of Judaism. 7 

13. On every hand the effect and influence of rabbinical 
teaching is seen. When the children awaken in the morn- 
ing, the first thing they are to do is to wash their eyes and 
the tips of their fingers. The reason is, the rabbis have 
taught that little demons are apt to gather at the tips ; of 
the fingers during the night, and should these not be wasted 

6 Judges 11 :S6-40. 7 Ruth 4 : 11, 12. 




a 



A JEWISH HOME 3 1 

prior to placing them on the eyes, these little imps might 
cause blindness. If the child should consider this story 
rather amusing and esteem it lightly, an impression of some 
form would certainly follow, either mental or physical, and 
the matter would never be questioned again. 

14. The children are taught from infancy by the mother, 
and this teaching includes a knowledge of the Messiah. 
All the prayers are prepared by the teachers, and read from 
books. While they are filled with texts of Scripture, they 
simply express the sentiments the rabbis have placed upon 
them. Hence, the home teaching is of that character that 
the prayer-books and the parents' teaching are not only 
Heaven's teaching, but the words of the rabbis are placed 
on an equality with the words of God, 

1 5 . The Sabbath and the holidays are periods of very 
great interest. These are times when the children antici- 
pate something more than on ordinary days, even to the 
bread and to the wine. At the beginning of the Sabbath, 
the mother will light the candles known as the Sabbath 
lights. This is done in order that the Sabbath may bring 
light and blessing to the house* The children have to re- 
move everything from their pockets. If anything is carried 
on this day, it is a burden ; and the Bible says there must 
be no burden borne on the Sabbath days. 8 Until the boy 
is thirteen, he is permitted to carry a pocket-handkerchief 
for he, too, is not responsible till that age, a reason for which 
is given in chapter four, paragraph one. After that age, he 
is not supposed to be burdened even with this necessary arti- 

8 Neh. 13 : 19. 



32 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

cle, as it, too, is carrying a burden. The rabbis, however, 
have explained this command by saying that men may carry 
it around the waist as a part of the clothing. The women 
may carry it around their arm, and make it a part of their 
apparel, (c) 

1 6. In the doing of all this, they believe they are doing 
the service of God and carrying out the will of the Lord. 
Nearly always a command in which there is a blessing pro- 
nounced, begins like this : 

" Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the Uni- 
verse, who hath commanded us," etc., etc., though the rab- 
bis acknowledge they made the law. 

17. The Jews do not perform any work on the Sabbath. 
It is true they are obliged to have fires, especially in cold 
weather ; but this obstacle is overcome by securing a Sab- 
bath Gentile. The business of this Gentile is to take care 
of the fires, extinguish all lights, and perform all things 
necessary to be done on the Sabbath for the comfort of the 
home, which a Jew may not do. Should you ask for an 
explanation, you will be informed that the Bible says con- 
cerning the Sabbath, " In it thou shalt not do any work." 9 
Should you ask, however, why the Gentile works when the 
same law says, neither thou, thy son, thy daughter, thy 
manservant, thy maidservant, nor thy stranger ; that is, a 
Gentile, shall do any work, you are answered in a manner 
very effective. Of course the parents will seek to convince 
you that it must be so because the Bible says so ; and what 
the Bible does not say the rabbis have said. Inasmuch as 

r 

9 Ex. 20:8-11. 



A JEWISH HOME 33 

we are taught to have the same respect for the rabbis as 
we have for God, the word of the one is as binding as the 
word of the other. It is absolutely necessary that we be- 
lieve what the parents say, for the law says, Honor thy 
mother and thy father. Therefore the question is an- 
swered, and it must settle it forever. 

18. While the children are taught many things from the 
Scripture by the parents, as. contained in the prayer- 
books, there are many stories which are told the children 
against the gospel of Christ, in such a manner as to make 
the child believe that the one is as true as the other. 
Many of these tales are so awful that they could not be put 
on paper. They used to be written in the Talmud many 
centuries ago ; but in the fifteenth century some of the 
readers of the Talmud among the Gentiles, discovered these 
sayings. As a result, this edition of the Talmud was de- 
stroyed ; and there are but two copies in existence which 
contain these vile and bad stories, (d) 

19. It is clearly impressed on the mind of the child that 
Jesus not only was a bad man, but was really an improper 
child. This is taught to so impress the child that it will be 
impossible ever to get his attention to any of the true 
claims of the Messiahship of Jesus, from the fact that the 
Bible does not allow such a person to come into the 
congregation of the Lord, not even to the tenth genera- 
tion. 10 All the miracles of Christ are explained by a lot 
of fairy tales and anecdotes, such as, Jesus went into a dye 
shop and threw a lot of clothing into a vat, and each piece 

ro Deut.23:2. 



34 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

came out a different color. The miracle of the resurrec- 
tion is overcome by a story that Jesus went into the tem- 
ple and learned the name of Jehovah and the letters of the 
name. Finally He cut out a piece of flesh from under his 
knee, and there deposited the card with the holy name on 
it. After three days He was reminded of His having 
taken that card with the name, which He then removed. 
After He learned the letters He was able to do great 
wonders, even to fly in the air. These and many similar 
tales are taught the children as part of their religious life, 
and this breeds within them such hatred and contempt for 
the Christian religion. At the same time they are taught 
to love and respect Moses and the prophets. 

20. In a book called, " Ethics of the Fathers," chapter 
1, is found the following: 

" Moses received the law from Sinai, and delivered it to 
Joshua, and Joshua to the elders, the elders to the 
prophets, the prophets to the men of the Great Synagogue. 
They said," etc., etc. In this way, the rabbis are connected 
with Moses and the prophets, and the words of one are as true 
as those of the other. The words of the oral law, the law 
of the rabbis, are as sacred and as holy as the law of Moses. 

2 1 . On the walls of the room in nearly every orthodox 
Jewish house is found a picture of Moses with the scrolls of 
the law in his hands, and various pictures of great rabbis, 
that reverence for the one may be taught as much as for the 
others. The groundwork is well laid, and the foundations 
are built strong and deep. The more pious the parents, the 
more the teaching will be impressed, and the more the child 
will have his mind fixed with such things. 



A JEWISH HOME 



35 




SCROLL OF THE LAW. 



/ 



36 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

22. This was the lot of the early years of the writer at 
his home with his parents and relatives. Judaism was ev- 
erything beautiful and sacred, and the future was looked 
forward to with much pleasure, when the rabbinical school 
would be entered and more of the teaching be received. 






A JEWISH HOME 37 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 

Paragraph 2 (a). — See " Practical Lessons, " chapter 2. 

Par. 10 (t>). — The writer well remembers when a boy he was obliged at 
times to wait at the street corners near the synagogue and hail men 
to come to the service, in order that there might be ten grown male 
adults present that the service of God might be conducted. 

Par. 15 (c). — Such teachings fully justify the actions of the Saviour as re- 
corded in Matt. 23 : 13-38. 

Par. 18 (d). — The best information the author can gather is that one copy 
of the Amsterdam Talmud which contains these statements is in Eng- 
land and one copy in the United States. 



CHAPTER III. 



YOUTHFUL EDUCATION. 



1. In harmony with the Jewish law, the writer entered 
the Jewish school at the age of five ; for the child must 
begin to study the Bible at that period, (a) From three 
to five hours were spent with the rabbi each day, in addition 
to attending the synagogue two or three times each day, 
and also spending several hours in a Jewish English school. 
The rabbi begins his work by teaching the boy the Bible, 
and at the same time he is taught the prayers. Part of the 
time he learns the one, and the rest of the time, the other. 
The teaching is not given individually ; there is generally 
a class formed ranging from ten to twenty-five, and these 
all repeat the teaching in concert. The reader can imagine 
what may happen under such circumstances when there are 
a number of boys learning that way. This school is called, 
Talmud Torah, the teaching of the law. 

2. After learning the rudiments of the language, the book 
of Genesis is the first thing read. The writer well remem- 
bers some of the interesting things he discovered when 
attending the rabbinical school. Having been taught that 
there was a singular and a plural, and the plural number 
was formed by adding a final mem to the singular, it seemed 
strange to him that the word God, found so many times in 
the first chapter of Genesis should every time be in the 

(>8) 



YOUTHFUL EDUCATION 39 

plural number. Thirty-one times the word is contained in 
this first chapter, and not once is the word used, El, 
literally, God; always it is written Elohim, literally, 
Gods. As soon as I was able to grasp any form of transla- 
tion, I was then introduced to the wisdom of the sages, and 
there are many of them that the child becomes acquainted 
with before he reaches the age of twelve, (b) 

3. Among the first prayers the boy is taught, is the one 
concerning the Messiah. Here it is : 

" He will send our Messiah in the end of the days to re- 
deem those who hope at the end for his salvation. God will 
raise the dead according to the abundance of His mercy ; 
blessed be the name of His praise unto all eternity. "{c) 

It certainly seemed good to learn that there was a de- 
liverer coming, and that we Jews would sometime cease 
from our labor and sorrows, and that all our Jewish friends 
and relatives who had died would awaken from the dead, and 
live once more together in Jerusalem where none would 
make us afraid or molest us. While I mused on these 
things the fire kept burning. 

4. The rabbi seeks to impress the child that he riot only 
must learn to read the Bible and to pray, but he must also 
commit to memory what he reads, because by so doing he 
will accomplish two things : First, he will not need to be 
loaded down with the books of the law ; and secondly, peo- 
ple will have the greatest respect for him because of his 
superior knowledge, — knowledge of the law, and knowledge 
that will be retained forever. There is much said in the 
Talmud concerning disciples or scholars who do not memo- 
rize and who do not retain knowledge, and the child is 



40 



TUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 




READING PRAYERS IN THE SYNAGOGUE. 



YOUTHFUL EDUCATION 4 I 

taught that this is disgraceful. Here is one law, for in- 
stance : 

" Rabbi Dorsethai, the son of Jonai, in the name of Rabbi 
Myer, said, Whoever forgetteth anything of what he hath 
obtained by study is considered in Scripture as having en- 
dangered his life ; as is said, ' Only take heed to thyself, 
and guard thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things 
which thine eyes have seen.' " — " Ethics of the Fathers!' 

5 . It did not take the writer long before he had committed 
the morning prayers and the evening prayers, the- Sabbath 
prayers, and many of the holiday prayers. The rabbis have 
prepared a different menu for every occasion. For instance, 
the morning prayers consist of reading about one hundred 
and twenty pages of reading matter containing selections 
from rabbinical addresses, what the priests did on certain 
occasions in the sanctuary, the repetition of a number of 
Psalms, eighteen benedictions, each one growing longer as 
the end of them approaches, and all telling of what God 
did in the past days. They are simply relics of a dead 
past, although there is a tendency on the part of the reader 
of these prayers to think that some of them may refer to 
what God is doing for the Jews now. Often.the child feels 
like asking some questions on this point, but here he has 
to be guarded, for the rabbi is vested with powers plenipo- 
tentiary, and he is apt to use his authority in a very im- 
pressive manner. The child, therefore, is willing for peace 
and harmony's sake to waive many of these questions, even 
though he be not satisfied. 

6. The afternoon and evening prayers are apt to be more 
brief, though there is a definite time to be taken for each 



42 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

of them. As I was expecting to be a teacher, it was 
necessary that I should be at every service and spend as 
much time as possible. There were times when it seemed 
hard to have to labor and toil at so early an age, from early 
in the morning till late at night, and all of this effort that 
the favor of God might be purchased. There were times 
when the religion seemed not so pleasant and attractive, 
and a feeling arose that, after all, what was the use. But 
even to harbor such thoughts, was considered wicked, and so 
when a proper opportunity presented itself I would do more 
praying, that the Almighty might not feel hard against me. 

7. The education along these lines was continued till I 
was almost thirteen, when I was to prepare for confirma- 
tion. As soon as I was able to grasp much of the Bible 
and of the prayers, then such commentators as Rashi, 
Onkelos, and others equally as great, played a large part in 
interpreting knowledge. If I came to a hard part of the 
Scriptures, and could not seem to understand it in the light 
of plain, simple language, then the rabbi would say, 

rt Now let us see what Rashi says." 

Then Rashi would tell what the Lord said and what He 
did not say on such and such a subject, and from his decision 
there could be no appeal. However, we were often taken to 
other writers, and they would make some added comments, 
though perhaps they would differ with Rashi. After a 
time one would almost become confused in the Bible. 
While these men would differ among themselves, and say 
even hard things about one another's opinions on the 
Scriptures, the boy must take it all in, agree with them all, 
and ask no questions, (d) 



YOUTHFUL EDUCATION 43 

8. While occasionally I became somewhat perplexed, I 
still persevered. I continued to attend the rabbi faithfully 
every day, not even excluding the Sabbath. Generally I 
would start to attend synagogue about seven in the morn- 
ing, and stay there about forty-five minutes. From there 
I would go to the rabbi for a short session, that I might 
gain a little more virtue before taking the morning meal, 
for fear I did not perform sufficient devotion at the 
synagogue. It must be remembered that one is not 
allowed to partake of anything in the morning in the 
nature of food till after the morning service, except one or 
two glasses of water, (e) 

9. I was frequently consoled, however, in my morning 
piety, for I had to pass a certain store from the synagogue 
to the rabbi's, and frequently I would find pieces of money 
on the ground in front of the store. This occurred to me 
as a sort of divine favor, that I was purchasing my way to 
heaven, and that the Lord was encouraging me in this direc- 
tion by sending me a little of the earthly store. The rabbi 
frequently told the children that if they were good and 
learned the law much and studied hard, the Lord would 
throw down money from heaven to them in various forms. 
Occasionally he would illustrate it by taking a piece of 
money out from under some portion of the table, and telling 
us an angel sent it from heaven. But no questions must 
be asked. 

10. This finding the money occasionally, was quite an in- 
spiration and incentive, and I often felt that I wanted to go 
to the rabbi's before breakfast. Shortly after the morning 
meal, I would attend the daily school, and, save about an 



44 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

hour for dinner, school and rabbi were continued till four- 
thirty in the. afternoon. Then there was a long session at 
the rabbi's which was continued till seven or eight in the 
evening. After this I would have to attend evening serv- 
ice, and then wonder whether I had learned enough or 
prayed enough that day to please God. 

1 1 . During the holidays, such as Passover, Pentecost, 
Feast of Tabernacles, New Year's, and Day of Atonement, 
we had many more prayers to repeat, and we were not 
through so early, nor did we get off so easily. We had 
no school during the last two holidays ; that was be- 
cause most of the time was spent at the synagogue. For 
instance, during the New Year's, which lasts two days, be- 
ginning sometime in September or October, I would start 
for the synagogue about seven in the morning and remain 
till noon. After a recess of an hour, we would start for 
some river or stream, and repeat a number of prayers, usu- 
ally finishing with these words of Micah : 

" Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, 
and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his her- 
itage? He retaineth not his anger forever, because he de- 
lighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compas- 
sion on us ; he will subdue our iniquities ; and thou shalt 
cast all their sins into the depths of the sea." Chapter 
7:18, 19. 

At the close of these words the men shake the end of 
their outside garment to show that they have faith to believe 
that the Lord has shaken their sins into the depths of the 
sea This service is called tashlich or throwing ; that 
is, throwing the sins into the sea. 



YOUTHFUL EDUCATION 



45 




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46 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

12. Then another service is attended at the synagogue, 
and after a slight intermission the evening service takes 
place. So that, with very little exception, the entire day is 
spent at the synagogue in reading prayers and in devotions, 
that the soul may gain the knowledge of God, and seek to 
please the Almighty. Should one of these days, however, 
fall on the Sabbath, then there is repeated the entire one 
hundred and fifty Psalms, from the afternoon service till 
the evening service. This repetition of the Psalter is the 
regular after-dinner menu every Sabbath day in the syna- 
gogue. Well do I remember how every Sabbath afternoon 
I had to go to the synagogue, and take part in chanting the 
whole of the Psalms before sunset. (/) 

13. During the Day of Atonement, however, there is still 
less time for one's self, At the sunset of the beginning of 
the day, synagogue is attended. This service continues for 
three hours, and then you have to retire without thinking 
of anything earthly. As soon as one awakens in the morn- 
ing, he starts directly for the synagogue, and here he is to 
remain until the sun sets that day. During most of these 
long, weary hours he has to stand in his stocking feet, as he 
is not allowed to wear any shoes ; neither is he allowed any 
food nor even one drop of water. For twenty-five hours 
not a drop of water is allowed to pass the lips. 

14. All through these early years my health was poor. 
I scarcely knew what it was to be free from pain for many 
months at a time. I was an invalid from my infancy, as I 
met with a serious accident when three years old by falling 
into an open fireplace where a raging fire was blazing, and 
being badly hurt. I was obliged to attend all the services 



YOUTHFUL EDUCATION 47 

at the rabbi's, at school, at the synagogue ; and all this to 
secure righteousness, that I might grow up to be a teacher 
of the law. Still I was gaining much knowledge of the He- 
brew, the rabbinical lore, and the history of God's dealing 
with my ancestors. 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 

Paragraph 1 (a). — " Ethics of the Fathers," English edition, p. 47. 

Par. 2 (&). — There are at least five different commentators the child is in- 
troduced to at quite an early age : the two Targumim, Rashi, Metsi- 
dis David, and Metsidis Zion. 

Par. 3 (<:).— " Daily Prayer book," article " Yigdol." 

Par. 7 (d). — As an illustration of this, see "Practical Lessons," p. 27, 
par. 18-20. 

Par. 12 (<r). — This will partly explain what Peter had reference to in Acts 
2 : 15. 

Par. 12 (/). — The rabbis have divided the Sabbath afternoons as follows : 
Six months in the year the one hundred and fifty Psalms are repeated, 
and six months are devoted to repeating the contents of the book en- 
titled, " Ethics of the Fathers." 




JESUS IN THE TEMPLE AT THE AGE OF TWELVE. 



CHAPTER IV. 



JEWISH CONFIRMATION, AND BEGINNING 
TO WORK. 

I . When I reached the age of twelve years and nine 
months, I had to prepare for confirmation. When the 
Jewish child reaches the age of thirteen, he becomes a 
member of the Jewish church. This is what the Bible has 
reference to when it speaks of Jesus' going up to the tem- 

(48) 



JEWISH CONFIRMATION 49 

pie when He was twelve years old. 1 After the child has 
passed twelve and is progressing through the thirteenth 
year, he is to prepare to take upon himself the responsibil- 
ity of becoming a bar-wit zvah, a son of the law, or a 
son of the commandment. It is at this time that he is 
to bear or be responsible for his own sins, and to join the 
fellowship of the church. 

2. One of the first things he has to do is to wear the 
phylacteries. The phylacteries are long, narrow strips of 
leather, attached to which are small square boxes contain- 
ing verses of Scripture. In each verse must be found the 
words, 

" And thou shalt bind them as a sign upon thine hand, 
and they shall be as frontlets Between thine eyes." 2 

These are worn every morning at worship, except upon 
the Sabbath. The reason they are not worn upon the Sab- 
bath is because the Bible says the Sabbath itself is a sign. 3 
Inasmuch as the phylacteries are worn daily as a sign, it is 
not necessary to have two signs at the same time. There- 
fore on the holidays and on the Sabbath these are not worn. 

3. Besides wearing these phylacteries, he must also wear 
a talithy a shawl, or a prayer garment. These are the 
things referred to in Matt. 23 : 5. (a) For three months be- 
fore confirmation I had to go through this experience every 
morning, learning the necessary additional prayers which 
are included with these things, and getting ready for the 
great Sabbath of confirmation. In addition to this, I had 
to learn a portion of the law. It should be remembered 

x Luke 2 : 42. a Ex. 13 : 9, 16 ; Deut. 6 : 8 ; 11 : 18. 3 Ex. 31 : 16, 17. 



50 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

that the Pentateuch, the five books of Moses, is divided by 
the Jews into fifty-two sections. They cover the reading 
of these five books once a year. Each section is subdi- 
vided into seven parts, and every Sabbath seven persons 
are called to the desk to have a part read to them by the 
cantor. This is what is referred to in Luke 4 : 16, when 
Jesus went to His home town and entered into the syna- 
gogue on the Sabbath and stood up for to read. The min- 
ister who handed him the scroll is called the cantor, or 
cha-zan. 

4. It is expected that the Sabbath after the boy reaches 
the thirteenth birthday, he will be called to the desk where 
the cantor is, and have a section read to him. Before the 
portion is read, the called one introduces his part of the 
service by reading the following prayer : 

" Bless ye the Lord who is blessed forever ; blessed be 
the Lord who is blessed forevermore. Blessed art thou, 
O Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who hath chosen 
us from all people, and hath given unto us His law. 
Blessed art thou who hath given us the law." 

5 . Should the boy expect to be a rabbi, he is to read his 
own portion, in addition to which he has to read the other 
six portions for that day to those six other persons who 
are called to the desk. This means that during the three 
months previous to this time I had to learn to read in He- 
brew the whole of the thirty-second chapter of Deuter- 
onomy, from a scroll without any points, or vowels, or 
punctuation, or anything to guide the tone or the sense, 
and had to place every word and every letter in its proper 
setting. 




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JEWISH CONFIRMATION 5 I 

6. After the portion was read which belonged to me, my 
father came to the desk, and repeated the following words : 
Baruch she-pe-tra-ne. Literally this means, " I am 
blessed, now I am rid of you." The idea is this : 
Till the boy is thirteen, the father has to be responsible for 
all his sins. When he reaches this age, the boy bears his 
own sins and iniquities, and the father makes a public con- 
fession of his thankfulness that the time has come when 
he is free from this burden Of responsibility. 

7. This is a great event in the family, not only to the 
parents but also to the lad. At this time friends and rela- 
tives are invited, and a feast is made which generally covers 
several days. The friends all come to offer their congrat- 
ulations and their benedictions. The youth is usually the 
recipient of many fine presents, as a sort of encouragement 
to continue in the study of the law, especially if he has the 
prospect of being a teacher. 

8. Like all other boys at this age who expect to enjoy 
the privileges of a teacher, I had to be proficient in the 
law as well as in the prayer-books. So that at this age, 
thirteen, I was enabled to repeat by heart nearly the entire 
one hundred and fifty Psalms in the Hebrew ; almost the 
whole of the Pentateuch, large portions of the prophets and 
the Scriptures, in addition to a great share of the daily, 
holiday, and Sabbath prayers. 

9. But somehow my taste and desire for Judaism and all 
that went with it did not increase after my confirmation. 
It seemed such hard work, and there was so much labor 
and constant effort to be good and to attain to the rabbin- 
ical standard of righteousness, that I decided to give the 



52 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

knowledge of the law and rabbinate a rest, and informed 
my parents that I wanted to work. This was a disappoint- 
ment to them, as they felt that I ought to be and must be 
more than a workingman, as a mechanic or laboring man is 
not very highly regarded by the rabbinical class. 

I o. As I grew in years my health kept failing, and I 
seemed unable to do much labor. I began to show some 
tendency towards tuberculosis, and this was not an encour- 
agement to have me perform hard labor. At this time an 
uncle who was quite wealthy, and who had flourishing busi- 
ness interests in England and Africa, offered to give me an 
education, and promised to send me through Oxford or 
Cambridge if I desired to go. He then wished me to take 
charge of his business interests in Africa. This I refused, 
and started to learn the tinsmith business, binding myself 
to serve an apprenticeship of five years. I had not been 
at work long before my health became worse, and by the 
time two and a half years had gone by I was almost a 
wreck. 

i-i. I was just tasting the fruits of laborious toil in my 
weakened condition, when I became hungry for an educa- 
tion. I wished I had remained at school, and had not gone 
to work. But it now seemed too late. I decided, however, 
to do something towards securing an education, and a way 
was opened for me to attend an evening school. I was 
making encouraging headway, when one evening I met with 
a serious injury that put an end to this ambition. Having 
worked a little later than usual that day, I was late in get- 
ting to school. Feeling that I must hurry to make up 
time,., I fell and shattered. one of my ribs. I said very little 



JEWISH CONFIRMATION 53 

about it that night to my people, as I feared if my parents 
knew it they would not let me attend my classes. It passed 
on to the next day, and though I suffered much, I would 
not have the matter attended to. On the second morning, 
however, as I tried to raise myself from bed, I found it im- 
possible, and the suffering was intense. I then told my 
parents the whole story, and immediately a doctor was sent 
for. He found that it was too late to do forme what might 
have been done had he been notified sooner. Though I 
was in plasters and bandages for a long time, the rib never 
came together properly. As a result, for years one piece 
of bone was dislocated, and ever caused me much pain. 
For several years I spent much time with doctors and hos- 
pitals, still my health was getting worse all the time. I 
could work but very little, and the future did not hold out 
much hope for me. 

12. At times I wondered whether I had done right in not 
studying for a rabbi, as possibly I might have avoided all 
these troubles. It looked as though I might not live very 
long unless I found some way to improve my health. The 
more I attended the hospitals, the worse I seemed to be, 
and I could find but little relief. My hopes for an educa- 
tion were shattered ; work I could not do ; my parents 
were poor, and my father did not feel friendly towards me 
because I had given up the desire of becoming a rabbi. 
To say the least, life did not seem very desirable, and death 
was not welcomed ; for there was no hope. My interest in 
Judaism was not increasing, and my love for God was not 
very strong. I was always taught that God needed ap- 
peasing, and unless we did a great deal of repenting He 



54 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

would not be pleased with us. Thus it stood with me as I 
was entering into young manhood. 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 
Paragraph 3 (a). — This idea is based on Numbers 15 : 37-39. 









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CHAPTER V. 



FAILING HEALTH, AND LEAVING HOME. 

1 . My health now took a turn for the worse. After a 
time it was found that my lungs were badly affected, and I 
was obliged to take much cod-liver oil, England's great 
antidote for consumption. Quarts and gallons were con- 
sumed, and still I found no relief. One hospital after 
another was sought for help, but all in vain. I was con- 
tinually getting worse, and it seemed as though I was not 
long for this world. Some of my Jewish friends became 
interested in me, as my father, being very poor, could do 
but little to give me special medical care. Being a very 
religious man, he had many friends among the pious Jews 
who were acquainted with the Chief Rabbi, Dr. Adler, the 
rabbi who gave me his benediction at my circumcision. 
His help and influence are exceedingly valuable among the 
Jewish people. 

2. Soon after this I was sent to the eminent Dr. 

McKenzie, one of the physicians to Queen Victoria, and a 

specialist on throat and lung diseases. After he gave a 

diagnosis, he ordered me at once to the National Hospital 

of Consumption at Ventnor, in the Isle of Wight. Through 

the help and influence of the rabbi, I was enabled to go, 

and in this institution I spent seven weeks. While here I 

came in direct contact with the Christian religion for the 

first time. 

'*5) 



56 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

3. I had never, prior to this time, had anything to do 
with Christianity, only blaspheming and hating it, as I was 
taught to do. Though I did not increase in piety, my love 
for Judaism was strong, and my hatred for Christianity was 
intense. That the reader may have some idea of my feel- 
ings in this direction, I will here relate an instance which 
will serve to show how every Jewish orthodox boy is taught, 
and how he feels towards Christianity, especially towards 
converted Jews. 

4. There was a man, a countryman of my mother's, who 
used to frequent our home. I knew very little about him 
at first, save that he was an occasional caller. I had 
learned his name, but knew nothing of his business. I 
finally was told that he was a believer in Jesus and was a 
missionary. When I heard that, I felt so hateful towards 
him that it seemed all I could do to keep from hurting the 
man. He seemed so hateful to me every time I £aw him, 
that I wished my mother would not allow him to Come to 
our home. I thought how could he, with what he knows 
of our holy religion and what he has learned about that 
Jesus, leave our holy religion and join himself to those 
people who have done us so much harm, and who have per- 
secuted our ancestors so bitterly. What could have led him 
to do this, unless he received a large salary and had merce- 
nary motives in becoming a turncoat, or as the Jews would 
call him, a me-shoo-mod. He seemed abominable to me, 
and I felt that he was not worthy co live. 1 

5. My mother always told me that, though he was a bad 

1 Acts 22 : 22. 



LEAVING HOME 57 

man in believing in Jesus, I must not hurt him for her sake. 
While I respected her wishes, it seemed as though I could 
hardly tolerate him. At the Hebrew school the rabbis 
gave us instruction against Jesus and the Christian people, 
and taught us to hate His name and the name of His 
followers with a terrible hatred. We were taught it was 
right to expectorate when we passed a Christian church, 
and were never allowed to go near a church, to say nothing 
of entering one. In this way, my feelings grew more 
bitter in this direction, and the Christian religion was to 
me a very bad thing. In fact, it was worse to me than it 
was to any of the rest of my family ; for, having been more 
pious while young than they, I hated it the worse. The 
more orthodox the Jew is the more he hates Christianity. 2 
In addition to being taught to engender this feeling against 
Christianity, we were taught that Christian people had no 
use for our Bible, the Old Testament, for our religion, or 
for our God. Therefore I felt I had a still greater reason 
for hating the Christians, and for doing all I could against 
them. 

6. While I was in my early teens a missionary came to 
visit us, and to invite several of us to attend services at a 
Jewish mission. I immediately asked the man what a mis- 
sion was, and he told me that it was a place where they 
taught the Jews about Jesus. The minute he said the word 
Jesus, I felt as though I wanted to do the man mischief. 
Soon the boys began to ridicule the missionary, and to make 
all manner of fun of the man. He, however, did what he 

2 Gal. 1:13, 14; Phil. 3 : 5, 6. 



58 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

could to convince us that we ought to go to his mission, 
because he said we would there learn about Jesus and 
about the true God. I told him that he and all other per- 
sons who believed in Jesus were idolators, and I could prove 
to him that if he believed in the God of the Jews as well 
as in Jesus, he was worshiping two gods. He replied that 
he did not worship two gods and he was not an idolator, 
and 1 could not convince him that he was following more 
than one God. 

7. I then asked him if he believed in the God of Abra- 
ham, Isaac, and Jacob. He said he did. I then asked him 
if he believed in the God who gave the ten commandments 
on Mount Sinai, and he answered in the affirmative. I 
then said that our God, the God of the Jews, who gave the 
ten commandments on Mount Sinai, said that 

" The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God " 
Now we Jews believing in the true God, believe and 
observe the seventh day for the Sabbath. But you who 
believe in your God, your Jesus, instead of keeping the 
seventh day as the Jews do, believe in the first day, and you 
claim that your Jesus changed the day from the seventh 
day to the first. Then I said to him : 

8. " Now if it is sin to transgress the law of God, and 
you say that the reason we need Jesus is because we have 
transgressed the law and must die, then should we believe 
Jesus as God when you say He actually changed the law 
of God ? We believe in the one God who gave us the 
seventh day for the Sabbath. Now if you believe in the 
same God who says the seventh day is the Sabbath, and 
also believe in Jesus who changed the Sabbath to the first 



LEAVING HOME 59 

day, then surely you serve two gods, and you Christian 
people must be idolators. Either Jesus is a blasphemer, 
or else Christians serve two gods." 

9. The man looked at me in disgust, and said, I was 
only a Jew, and was not worth his attention, and away he 
went. And I thought, That is all there is to the Christian re- 
ligion, and somehow I felt there was considerable to Judaism 
after all. This simply intensified my feeling of hatred 
towards Christ and towards Christianity. Besides this ex- 
perience, I had very little dealings with Christian people, 
nor came in direct contact with them until this time when 
I became a patient at the National Hospital of Consump- 
tion. Here, to my surprise, I found people walking around 
all the time without their hats. This seemed an awful 
thing to me, as the Jews always wear their hats, especially 
during meal-time. Here I found they ate food with un- 
washed hands, 3 and of course this seemed shocking, as it is 
unlawful for a Jew to eat with unwashed hands ; and I 
supposed they were doing these things contrary to the 
Bible. Here I found that every day they had prayers, and 
prayed to this Jesus ; and this seemed like blasphemy. I 
was puzzled and perplexed ; for what to do I did not know. 
I was afraid that God was not pleased that I went there, as 
I saw so much of idolatry, yet I was sent there through 
the influence of the Chief Rabbi, Dr. Adler. 

10. However the more I mingled with the Christian 
people, the more I felt that many of them were -pleasant 
and kind, and they wanted to do something to help people. 

3 Mark 7 : 1-4. 



60 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

I was afraid to let them know that I was a Jew, as I had 
always been taught that the Christians everywhere hate 
the Jews ; and if they have an opportunity they will take 
their life. One experience will illustrate this thought. 

ii. Just before I went to- the hospital, I attended a Jew- 
ish medical mission, and was told by the physician that I 
could never get well unless I underwent an operation. 
They offered to perform the operation upon me, and would 
charge me nothing for their services. I could not conceive 
how Jewish Christians, apostates, could really be kind and 
unselfish to the Jews, and could not believe that this was 
exactly the spirit of Christ. I had never read nor even 
seen a New Testament, and how could I know differently ? 
Some of my friends told me that I ought to have this 
operation, and if I did it might be my physical salvation. 
I finally said, 

" No, I will never let them do it ; for when they get me 
under the knife then they will tell me I will have to believe 
in- their Jesus ; and if I do not, I will die/' 

So I concluded that I would rather die than have the 
missionary's religion forced upon me. 

12. I kept quiet about my religion, and tried to do the 
best I could while I was at the hospital. But inwardly I 
felt all the time that the Jewish religion was the only true 
religion. The chaplain occasionally came to see me, and 
he spoke very kindly to me. It being a national hospital, 
the chaplain was of the Church of England faith, Episco- 
palian. He asked me to come to church, though I was not 
able to be about very much. I was not improving very 
rapidly, and it seemed as though I could not live long. 




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LEAVING HOME 6 1 

13. One Sunday I decided to enter the church, but I 
well remember how I feared that God would be dis- 
pleased with me, and allow some awful thing to happen. 
I took my seat near the door, it being the first time that I 
ever entered into such a place. It seemed so strange to 
see the worshipers entering and kneeling as they went into 
their pews. I thought they must certainly be idolators, for 
the Jews never kneel in prayer, because the Christians 
kneel ; and to the Jew such a form of worship is a sign of 
idolatry. I concluded, however, that I would stay for the 
service and behave the best I knew how under the circum- 
stances. After a few moments' waiting, to my surprise 
there appeared a man at the rear of the church who seemed 
to be gowned in what looked to me like a night robe. 
Instead of the gown's being wholly white, it was partly 
black and partly white. I began to wonder what was go- 
ing to happen. I became rather nervous and wished I 
were out. But I concluded that I must now stay and see 
the thing to the end., I thought it strange that the man 
did not. wear his clothing; I, remained through the service, 
and felt very thankful that I did not receive a judgment 
from heaven, for going, to that church. 
.: 14. I must. confess that the service of the Christian re- 
ligion did not impress me very deeply at the time.. Very 
few said anything, to me about it while at the hospital. I 
did, not read anything on the subject, and did my best to 
observe ray Jewish religion^ though I felt obliged, to hide it 
spmewliat under; the circumstances, ..... 

&J&i ^t^X".'I:::J^d\])<rfi31^t.t^\V<9)||ipC hospital, about 
Seven/weejfcs, L received .word that my father was very ill, 



62 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY. 

and I was obliged to return home. In a short time he 
passed away, and now I was left an orphan, sick, and hav- 
ing no way of earning a livelihood. The future did not 
look very bright, and there was not much that made life 
worth living. I endeavored to be more faithful to Judaism 
after my father died. At the death of a near relative the 
family has to mourn seven days, {a) During this time 
none of the family is allowed to sit on a chair, or to wear 
shoes, or to leave the house, or to have any one salute them, 
or shake them by the hand. They are not allowed to use 
a comb, or to look into a looking-glass, or even to have a 
picture hung with the front side to the observer. It is in- 
deed a week of mourning. At the close of this week, every 
day for fifty-one weeks, prayers have to be said for the 
dead. These prayers are supposed to help that the de- 
parted may not have to suffer too much in gehenna. The 
prayers are supposed to assist the departed soul.(^) I 
attended to these duties very promptly twice a day for an 
entire year. I had hoped that the Lord would look 
with favor upon me for so doing and relieve my suffering. 
But my health did not improve. I tried to work at a light 
occupation, but found it impossible to accomplish anything. 
My lungs were so bad at times that I was obliged to wear 
an inhaler while walking the streets. 

1 6. After counsel with relatives, it was decided that I 
leave the Old Country, and go to the New World. The 
physicians said that the ocean trip would accomplish much 
for my health, and the change to another climate would be 
a blessing. In a little while I made preparations to leave, 
and said " Good-bye " to my friends and to England. I 



LEAVING HOME 63 

realized but little at the time what the trip meant to me ; 
but the Hand that upholds the worlds, the One who guides 
the planets, the Eye that sees all things, knows the end 
from the beginning, and works in a mysterious way His 
wonders to perform. 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 

Paragraph 15 (a). — This form of mourning is based on the experience of 
Jacob when word came to him that Joseph had died.. 

Par. 15 (b). — This idea is akin to the experience recorded in the parable 
of the rich man and Lazarus. See Luke 16 : 19-31. 



CHAPTER VI. 



ON THE SHORES OE AMERICA. 

1 . If my father had been alive, it is doubtful whether I 
should have come to the " land of the free," as he was very 
much prejudiced against this country. Some twenty years 
prior to this time, he left England for the United States, to 
improve his financial condition. He was in this land two 
and a half years. He had been here but a short time when 
he wrote to my mother, 

"America is a great and wonderful country. It is a large 
country and a very prosperous one. A person can make 
money, and everybody has an opportunity ; but a man will 
lose his religion here in a very short time." 

He told my mother that he would not have her or any of 
the children in America under any consideration, as it was 
a godless land, and the Jews were losing their religion very 
rapidly. He told her if the children were brought up in 
America all their thoughts of Judaism would be lost. The 
Sabbath and the holidays were discarded, God was little 
thought of, and the Bible was losing its power among the 
Jews. 

2. While father was very desirous of improving the finan- 
cial condition of our family, and felt that a little more of 
this world's goods would be a great assistance to us, he 

(04) 



ON THE SHORES OF AMERICA 65 

would not do it at the risk of losing his religion. So he 
decided to shake off the dust of American soil from his feet, 
and return to England, to train his children for Judaism 
rather than for the wealth of American gold. 

3. Repeatedly I was told of the experiences that my 
father had while in this country, and of course it was with 
much fear and trembling that my mother let me go. She 
gave me many good admonitions to continue in Judaism, 
and to follow the- faith of my fathers. She provided me 
with a nice bag to carry my garments and phylacteries, and 
a small garment to wear, that in case sickness or death 
should overtake me, I might be recognized as a Jew and be 
buried in consecrated soil, (a) 

4. With these impressions of many years' standing, I was 
quite thoughtful on my way across the ocean. I made up 
my mind that I would do what I could to follow my religion, 
and be true to my mother and to convictions. Just before 
landing, however, I met with a serious accident on board 
ship, the results of which have been with me these many 
years, and doubtless will stay with me till the mortal body 
shall be changed to immortality. But evidently this was 
one of the "all things," to curb my ambition, and to pre- 
pare me for my future work. The first ten days I spent 
in New York were in a hospital, some twenty miles from 
the city, on an island among entire strangers, and not among 
the kindest of people, either. 

5 . We sometimes read of awful things happening in city 

and state institutions, and the reader can scarcely believe 

that such things are possible. But one who has been 

obliged to attend one such place knows that the whole truth 
5 



66 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

is hardly ever told. To hear the poor sick people groan in 
this hospital was terrible, and the abuse they received at the 
hand of the attendants was inhuman. "After a time I felt 
improved from my injury, and was cordially received by my 
cousin in New York City. 

6. My relatives were very kind to me for a few weeks, 
and did all that was possible to make me comfortable. I 
soon found that New York City was not a place to get 
health. My cousin was very pious, and he did all he could 
to encourage me in the way of religion. It was not very 
long before my religious sensibilites were shocked, and I 
was soon convinced that my father was right. I can 
scarcely express how I felt the first Sabbath day after I 
was located in New York City, this great Jewish metropo- 
lis of the world. It seemed to me that the people had very 
little regard for God, for Moses, or for anything that was 
in harmony with the teachings of Judaism. 

7. My cousin told me of the dangers and pitfalls I was 
likely to meet ; but his children did not follow in his steps. 
Being with them nearly all the time for a season, my 
grip on Judaism was fast letting go, and it was not long 
before I concluded that somehow I could not remain in 
America and continue religious. My health was not im- 
proving very rapidly, and the younger portion of my rela- 
tives were no assistance to me in health, morals, or religion. 

8. The time came when it was necessary that I should 
seek employment. I knew that I must do something to 
earn a livelihood and take care of myself. Among the first 
things that my cousin told me was to be sure to secure 
work where I could keep the Sabbath, and follow out the 



ON THE SHORES OF AMERICA 67 

teachings that I had received at home. I felt that I must 
do this,- as it seemed to me that my conscience was too 
strongly impressed to entirely abandon the teachings of my 
parents, of the rabbis, and of all Judaism. I succeeded at 
first, and felt quite hopeful that I could still be a fairly 
good Jew, even though I was in America. 

9. But finally I had to secure employment among Gentiles. 
After a hard and laborious effort I succeeded in obtaining 
a position which seemed as though it might be a stepping- 
stone to affluence. I had a hard battle with my conscience. 
Must I disregard the Sabbath of the Lord, the holidays, the 
feast days, and really abandon my religion entirely ? Oh 
the struggle was awful, but I at last decided to accept the 
position, hoping that some way I should get through it with 
ease and grace. 

10. The first Sabbath morning came that I was obliged 
to work. While there had been times when I did not ob- 
serve it so sacredly and strictly as I should, still I felt that 
I was not entirely disregarding God's commandments ; for 
there were stated times when I could repent and make 
proper amends with Heaven. Now I was to actually work 
on the Sabbath, and on those sacred days of which the Lord 
said that the person who should do this would be cut -off 
from among his people. 1 

; i i* It seemed that I could. not arise- from bed. I felt as 
though T should become paralyzed. Everything seemed 
against me, even in getting ready to go to the place of.bus- 
iness. - I felt .all along the way to . the factory that. I was 



68 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

haunted. My conscience seemed to tell me that God was 
displeased with me, and impressed me that something aw- 
ful would happen before the day was out. It was a terrific 
battle, and I thought I never could endure it. I finally 
reached my destination, but it was with fear and trembling. 
Every motion I made I felt condemned. I took the knife 
to cut the cloth, and in my nervousness the knife slipped 
and made a terrible gash in my finger. I seemed to real- 
ize that I was already reaping. The battle with conscience 
was on, and it occurred to me now I had gone so far, I 
could not recant. The devil told me I had to earn my liv- 
ing, and that as long as I was in America I had to do as all 
others did. I continued to work. I had not been working 
very long before I cut myself again, and this time worse 
than at first. I became ill, and felt as though I could not 
work any longer that day. I asked to be excused, so left 
the shop, and endeavored to drown my conscience and some 
way fight it out. What an awful thing it is to fight against 
one's conscience ! How important it is to have that con- 
science educated in harmony with the word of God ! 

12. I finally yielded to the tempter. The next week it 
was not so hard to work, and I concluded that I would take 
my chances, as the rest of the Jews were taking theirs. 
Thus I kept this position for nearly a year, when I was in- 
formed that I was to be promoted, and it seemed now that 
I was in a fair way to make money. The first day I 
worked in the shop I earned forty-two cents ; within nine 
months from that time I was making fifteen or sixteen dol- 
lars a week, and now there was a prospect that I could eas- 
ily earn twenty-five or thirty dollars a week. 



ON THE SHORES OF AMERICA 69 

13. How true it is that Satan does sometimes permit a 
man to prosper, that in the end he may more completely 
compass his destruction. My health was not much im- 
proved. Having let go my grip on religion, the only thing 
I had to help as far as I was taught, I was not on the road 
to moral improvement. But it seemed as though I might 
make plenty of money soon, and then perhaps I could get 
health, by paying for it. For a time everything went well, 
and the financial prospects were very encouraging. Occa- 
sionally I went to the synagogue, thinking that perhaps the 
Lord would not look so hard upon me, though I felt all the 
time that my father certainly told the truth about the Jew- 
ish religion in America. But it was evident that God had 
some other plans in store for me, for my stay in this posi- 
tion was not very long. 

14. It was a law in the factories of New York that every 
one had to be a member of a labor organization, and I had 
to join with the rest ; for I was told that was the way to 
get wealth in this country. I was further instructed that 
if I once did my work, I was never to do it again, even 
though it was not done so well as it ought to be, as the 
unions will protect a man if he will only keep his dues paid. 

1 5 . The foreman in our department having left his posi- 
tion, a young and inexperienced man was selected to take 
his place. One day he came and told me that I had not 
done some work as he thought it ought to be done. I told 
him that it had been done according to requirement, and 
that was all that was necessary. He insisted on my doing 
it all over again, and I was as persistent that I had done all 
I should, in harmony with the laws of the union. He in- 



JO JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

formed the proprietor, and I was politely told that I would 
have to lose my position. The whole thing amounted to 
only five cents, and it could have been done in about three 
minutes. Such is the law of human slavery. My lucrative 
position was gone, and the union concluded it had better 
not tie up the whole shop for the sake of so small a matter, 
and I was simply cast out. 

1 6. The months which followed were bitter ones. I had 
no work for many months, no friends to assist me, ' no 
proper clothing to wear. Many a day I had to walk the 
streets of New York in bitter cold weather, without any 
overcoat, with hardly a place to go, and at times with very 
little to eat. I began to feel that the way of the trans- 
gressor is a hard way. The unions would give no assistance, 
as I had not belonged to them a sufficient length of time. 
It seemed to me that I was forsaken of everybody, and 
what was the use. 

17. In the spring, the labor organization gave me suffi- 
cient money to come to Massachusetts, thinking perhaps 
I could get work here, as Massachusetts was the home of 
the shoe industry. After a while I secured a position, but 
this did not last very long, as I was unaccustomed to their 
ways of working. Another position was soon secured, and 
I managed to get along very well for a time. While I had 
not reached wealth or fortune, I had enough to eat, and a 
place to sleep. But God was bringing me around in His 
own way through a hard school, for some purpose. 



ON THE SHORES OF AMERICA 7 1 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 

Paragraph 3 (a). — The Jews are not buried in the same cemetery as the 
Gentiles ; for the land wherein Gentiles lie is defiled. There is a Jew- 
ish tradition which says that if the Jew is buried in consecrated soil, 
when Michael or Gabriel shall blow the trumpet at the resurrection, 
' the bones of the Jew will roll to Jerusalem, and will reach there in 
time to be raised from the dead. 



ISRAEL'S PRAYER. 
Ps. 80 : 1-7. 

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock ; 
thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. 

Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, 
and come and save us. 

Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine ; and we shall be 
saved. 

O Lord God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer 
of thy people ? 

Thou feedest them with the bread of tears ; and givest them tears to 
drink in great measure. 

Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours : and our enemies laugh 
among themselves. 

Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine ; and we 
shall be saved. 



CHAPTER VII. 



GOD WORKS IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY. 

1. While I was losing my grip on Judaism all this time, 
I believed the Bible was the word of God, and that I must 
not cast it entirely aside. Being thrown among Gentiles 
much of the time, I felt that I must not let them know that 
I was a Jew, for they would hate me bitterly, and then I 
could not get any work. But in my inner conscience, I felt 
that Moses and the prophets were still true, and if God 
would help me, I would some time return to the fold and 
be a good Jew. Then if I were wealthy, I would give lib- 
erally to charitable purposes, and thus would make up 
what I had lost.(^) 

2. I would occasionally go to a synagogue on the most 
important holidays, and in this way I kept the light burning, 
even though it were barely flickering. But God was about 
to bring me into conditions that were entirely to change my 
life, and do it in a mysterious way, still in a way to bring 
me to Himself and convince me that. God was true. 

3. My impression of the Christian religion had not 
been improved by contact with these people. I had seen 
nothing about them that was very attractive, from the fact 
that I had been to a church but once, and had mingled 
only with such kind of Christians as work in factories. 
The reader must remember that to a Jew every one is a 

(72) 



GOD WORKS IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY 73 

Christian who is not a Jew or a Mohammedan. It makes 
no difference how vile a person may be, a blasphemer, a 
drunkard, or one of the baser sort ; he is a Christian, (b) 
It is the Christian religion, to the Jew, that makes just this 
kind of people. All the people with whom I mingled were 
of the class that did not make anything of religion, and so 
I concluded that I would keep to myself as far as I could, 
and have nothing whatever to do with religion. 

4. In this way I continued for some months in Massachu- 
setts till one day I secured a position in Massachu- 
setts. It had always been my desire to live in private fam- 
ilies as far as possible, as then I should not be ridiculed 
very much, even though the people did regard me as a Jew. 
Though I tried to hide the fact, people often would accuse 
me of being a Jew. So I made it a point to live in places 
where there were but few people. 

5 . While trying to find such a place, I came across a 
young man who told me that he thought he knew of a place 
where I could live with a nice family. He-informed me 
that they were Christian people, too, and were good people. 
I thought to myself, those statements do not harmonize 
very well, — a person be a Christian and at the same time 
a good person ! But thinking he was right, I accepted his 
version of it. He continued, however, to inform me that 
they were rather peculiar people, different from most Chris- 
tian people, because they were not at home on Saturdays. 
The man would not work on Saturday, and with his family 
would go to church. He told me that they were people 
who believed in the Bible, did not eat pork, and believed 
various things that seemed so peculiar and striking to me, 



74 



JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 




G. F. FISKE. 



GOD WORKS IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY 75 




MRS. G. F. FISKE. 



j6 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

that I made up my mind that I would like to meet such a 
people. 

6. He had left me but a few minutes, when I received 
an impression, yes, a conviction, that I wished to go and 
live with the Fiske family. There was something left on my 
mind from what he told me that made an impression. 
What could it mean ? Was he really sane ? Christian 
people who were good people, who did not eat pork, who 
kept the Sabbath, Saturday, the same day the Jews kept, 
believed in the Bible, and all such things ? These things 
were revolving in my mind, and I could not throw off the 
feeling that I must make an effort to live with them. It 
seemed as though it would be a curiosity at least to become 
acquainted with*such people. 

7. I finally called to see Mr. Fiske, and stated my case. 
He treated me very coolly, and informed me that his house 
was not a boarding-house. I told him that I was 
not looking for a boarding-house, but for just such a nice 
family as he had. He made many excuses, and it seemed 
for a time that I was to be disappointed. I pressed my 
case, pleading health and other things. He told me that 
they were not at home on Saturday, but went to church on 
that day, and I would have to eat cold food. I told him 
that I would do almost anything if I could only live with 
him. 

8. Having made all the excuses he possibly could, he 
told me that he should have to see his wife, and then he 
would let me know. Those hours of waiting are fresh in 
memory. It seemed to me as though I could see but one 
thing, and could think of but one thing, — the strange, pe- 



GOD WORKS IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY J J 

culiar characteristics of this family. He finally informed 
me that his wife had agreed to let me come and try it for 
a time, and we could determine later whether I could stay. 
I felt that it was going to be a good place, and decided to 
do what I could to merit their favor, so that they would be 
willing to keep me. 

9. But I made up my mind that I would watch. Having 
been taught of the deceitfulness of the Russian so-called 
Christians, I decided that while I would do nothing to make 
myself obnoxious to them, I would do a little detective work, 
and see what took place in their home. I was now going 
to have a chance to see Christian people, and such peculiar 
Christian people. Of course, I never told them that I was 
a Jew, as that would be against me ; and I knew that all 
Christians hated Jews, so I would keep quiet on that point. 

10. After I had been there a day or two, I began to feel 
at home. They seemed different from any other Christian 
people that I had ever seen or even heard of. They were 
so kind and so interested in my welfare that I could not ex- 
plain to myself what it meant. 

1 1 . When I reached the house on Friday evening, I was 
literally dumfounded. I was told that it was the beginning 
of the Sabbath. They believed in the Bible, in God, in Je- 
sus, and they kept the seventh-day Sabbath. They went 
on to tell me something of what they believed, and while I 
listened attentively to what they were saying, I was passing 
through an experience and a struggle that I shall never for- 
get. What did it all mean? Was it really true, or was I 
dreaming ? The house was all in order, and all work was 
put aside, and the Sabbath was being observed ! 



j8 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

12. I said within myself, Now this is strange, and more 
than strange. What could I say ? Here were Gentiles, 
people who knew nothing about God and the Bible, from 
my standpoint, keeping the Sabbath that belongs to the 
Jews ; and here was I, a Jew, working on the Sabbath, and 
acting like a Gentile. I could not explain it, and I seemed 
confounded. It was simply beyond expression to me. I 
mused and I pondered. I did not dare ask any questions, 
for fear I might betray myself, and then all would be gone, 
as far as I was concerned. I made up my mind that I 
would see what these people did on the Sabbath and how 
they kept it. 

1 3. But I was not to be let alone with this thing. I soon 
learned that they had their beans on Friday night and 
Saturday, instead of on Saturday night and Sunday, and, 
furthermore, they did not use any pork in the beans. They 
did not use this unlawful food, as they did not think it 
right to eat such an unclean animal, (c) My confusion was 
becoming inexplicable, and I could not say a word. Surely, 
I had fallen into a peculiar situation. I felt condemned, 
and how strange the feelings were that came over me. I 
was unhappy, but was puzzled. I had never heard about 
such a religion, for it was not Christian, and I was sure 
that it was not Jewish. 

14. After thinking it all over soberly and seriously, I de- 
cided to just say nothing, and watch what these people did. 
I should soon learn something, and then I could better de- 
termine what this thing meant. I found, however, that 
they acted differently from Jews ; for they ate meat and 
milk together at the same table, and mixed t^e :two._ r But 



GOD WORKS IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY 79 

the Jews did not believe in mixing them. This was con- 
sidered a great sin among the Jews. Then I found many- 
other things that they did which were not like the Jews, 
while I knew they did not act like most of the Christians 
about whom I had heard, (d) 

1-5 . Then the people began to take a personal interest in 
me, and made me feel as though I were in my own family. 
Certainly their kindness and Christian love were a treat to 
me, as it was something I had not been accustomed to en- 
joy at the hands of people who called themselves believers 
in Jesus of Nazareth. I found that my relish for Judaism 
was waning considerably, and I felt that if the religion of 
this people were for sale, if I ever could secure money 
sufficient to purchase some of it, I would be glad and will- 
ing to invest. Truly, there is a flavor to the life of a sincere 
Christian. 1 

16. I soon learned that they believed in the Old Testa- 
ment as well as in the New. They used to study their 
Sabbath-school lessons, and much of their teaching was 
from the Old Testament. I thought, What right have 
these people with the Old Testament ? They call them- 
selves Christians, but the Old Testament belongs to the 
Jews, and the Christians have no use for it. So I con- 
cluded that I would stay in another room, and hear what 
they had to say about the Old Testament, and what they 
did when they read it. It was such a novel experience 
through which I was passing. 

17. I well remember one Friday evening while they were 

1 2 Cor. 2:14, 15. 



80 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

studying the book of Kings, a question arose that did not 
seem very clear to their minds. I listened with much in- 
terest and thought to myself, These poor people, what do 
they know about the Old Testament ? I could tell them 
considerable about it. I sat there, listening for a few 
minutes, and while I was musing, the fire was burning. 
Ere I was aware of it, I entered the parlor where they 
were sitting, and began to expound to them the Old Testa- 
ment Scriptures. I never stopped to think of the effect it 
would have upon them, as I had not told them that I was 
a Jew, and never thought how they might wonder where I 
had learned about the Old Testament, if I were a Gentile. 
But in hearing them study the Bible, the love of it came 
back to me, and I could not help going there and tell- 
ing them something about it that would make it plainer to 
them. 

1 8. Occasionally they invited me to attend church with 
them. At first I went reluctantly, not knowing whether I 
should find a man dressed in the same manner as I had 
found the preacher when I was at Ventnor, in the Isle of 
Wight. To my surprise, I heard the minister read from- 
the Old Testament as freely as from the New Testament, 
though I had not yet read the New Testament. My prej- 
udices were still strong against Christianity, and I made 
up my mind that I would hear rather than investigate. I 
had*not yet decided what there was to this religion. The 
minister seemed like a nke man, and he made the Bible 
very clear and simple. It seemed very strange to me to 
hear a man who was a Christian minister talk about the 
Old Testament in a way as though he had a right to. By de- 



GOD WORKS IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY 8 1 

grees the name of Jesus did not sound so hateful, and at 
their invitation I would now and then attend a service when 
there was a minister in attendance. 

19. Their kindness to me not only continued, but it in- 
creased. Everything that could be done for one's own, 
was done for me. There seemed to be an inner conscious- 
ness telling me that this religion was different from what I 
had ever seen. Everywhere that I went in the house, I 
would find religious reading. Occasionally they would talk 
with me about the Bible, though I would say very little, as 
I wished ever to be on my guard, and not let my speech 
betray me. I read some of the papers and books, and 
pondered what I read. It seemed to me, more and more, 
that I had come in contact with something that was having 
an influence over my life. What it was I did not know, 
and I could not explain. 

20. After I had been with this family about eighteen 
months, I was taken suddenly ill. At midnight I hastened 
down-stairs, burning with fever, and begged Mr. Fiske to 
do something for me. As soon as he looked at me, he 
hurried me back to bed, telling me that I had the scarlet 
fever. The doctor was called, and I supposed that I should 
be taken to the hospital. Instead, these dear people said, 
" No," they would take care of me, and do all they could 
fof my comfort. This was indeed a surprise to me. I had 
no money to offer them to take care of me, and should be 
out of employment for a number of weeks. Nevertheless, 
they said they would care for me, and nurse me all through 
my illness. 

21. This was not all. The very day that I was taken 



82 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

sick I had their little four-year-old girl on my lap, and was 
amusing her as I had often done. I then said, 

" But how about the little girl ? Why, she will be sick 
with fever, too." • 

It seemed sad to me to think that I had not only caused 
them this trouble, to have to care for me, but they would 
also have the sorrow of their little girl's being sick. Al- 
most immediately the lady replied, 

" She is not going to have the scarlet fever, I am sure 
of that." 

I thought to myself such an answer was indeed strange. 
The doctors claim that the scarlet fever is very contagious, 
so much so that the authorities demand a card shall be 
placed on the door, that people may not spread the disease. 
And here Mrs. Fiske said the child was not going to be 
sick. She remarked it with such emphasis that I was led 
to wonder how she knew the child would not have it. She 
said, 

" I have prayed about it, and I know the Lord will not 
allow it to come." 

Certainly this was a strange thing to me. She prayed 
to the Lord, and she knew the Lord would not let the child 
have the fever. I thought and pondered much over this 
answer. In fact, the next three weeks I did scarcely any- 
thing but to ponder. It seemed to me some of the time 
as though I certainly should die, and what an awful thing it 
would be to lose my hope in, and hold on, Judaism. 

22. At the same time God was working on my mind in a 
mysterious way, yet I was not conscious of it. Though I 
was almost at death's door, still God had a care for me, 



GOD WORKS IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY 83 

and I was being impressed all the time with the kindness 
of these people. It seemed to me that I never saw such 
kind treatment in my life. Through the many weeks that 
I lay in that bed, every want was so abundantly supplied, 
whether by day or by night, that I felt that more could not 
be done for me, even were I in my own house. Often these 
thoughts would come to me : This is the Christian religion. 
This is what Christian people are doing. These people 
know they will receive no pay for this, as they know I have 
nothing ; yet they gladly toil by day and wait upon me by 
night, and all without any thought or expectation of remuner- 
ation. May it not be possible that I have been deceived 
in my teaching concerning Christianity ? May it not be 
possible that the Christian religion is not what I supposed 
it to be ? May it not be possible that there is more 
than one kind of Christian religion, and that the Christian 
religion here is different from what I have been taught ? 
These people are Christian people, they seem to take de- 
light in their religion, and yet they claim to be followers of 
this Jesus, (d) 

23. Then these thoughts would come : My parents and 
my rabbis have told me those awful things about Christian- 
ity and about Jesus of Nazareth. I certainly could not 
disbelieve my parents, for the Bible says, Honor thy father 
and thy mother. Many an hour they had spent in telling 
me of the awful massacres and barbarities done in the name 
of Jesus, and in the name of this Christian religion. How 
could these two views of the same religion be harmonized? 
There was something mysterious passing through my life. 
I was brought through the crisis of illness, and after eleven 



84 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

weeks was able to resume my work again. The gratitude 
I felt in my heart for these people was abundant, and I 
really believed that now I had found some friends among the 
Christians. God had been using them as a means to show 
me something of the reality of the Christian religion, and 
had given me some time to think that possibly I was mis- 
taken. There might be something in the Christian religion 
that I had never known. 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 

Paragraph 1 (a). — The reader should remember that the Jew is taught, 
what he loses in piety he can make up in charity, or almsgiving. It 
may not be generally understood that the word charity now in so com 
mon use among the Jews, originally meant "righteousness." See" 
Matt. 6 rl, margin. S 3 the rabbis teach that "Repentance, prayer, 
and almsgiving [or righteousness] will annul the evil decree." — Pray- 
ers for the Day of Atonement. 

Par. 3 {b). — While I was conducting a service one evening at a mission 
for Jev.s in Boston, an intoxicated Gentile entered the place of wor- 
ship. One of the Jews in the audience remarked in Yiddish : " Mr. 
Missionary, here is one of your good Christians," pointing to the 
drunken man. It is not at all unusual for the professed Christian in 
Russia, I mean the Greek Catholic, to leave the church service on 
Sunday, or on some other holy day, and drink vodka, the Russian 
national beer intoxicant, till he becomes intoxicated. This is con- 
sidered a part of his religion. 

Par. 13 (c). — The reader should bear in mind that to the masses of the 
orthodox Jews, the Christian religion consists of several ideas, chief 
among them being the- observance of the first day as- the Sabbath*- 



GOD WORKS IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY 85 

and the eating of swine's flesh. I here give a selection or two from a 
long letter written to me by a Jew who sought to express sympathy 
for some literature which was written to convince the Jews that Christ 
is the Messiah. He says : 

" Now to begin with, I said I would show you that we did not 
need the kind of sympathy you speak of, but that you need it; i. e., 
that we are right in not accepting Christ, and that you are wrong. . . 
Was Christ really God's messenger? What do these words suggest 
to you ? To me they suggest this : A messenger sent from God 
would help His people, or humanity at large, and not persecute them. 
. . . Do Christians practice everything that God commands in His 
Bible ? You cannot say yes, for you violate the Sabbath and eat food 
which the Bible says is forbidden. If He was God's messenger, He 
would not violate these laws." 

Par. 14 (d). — There are several scriptures in the Bible which read like 
this : " Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk." Ex. 
23:19; 34:26; Deut. 14:21. From these texts the rabbis have 
taught that meat and milk should not be eaten at the same time under 
any consideration, neither is a person allowed to cook any food con- 
taining animal fat of the fleshy substance with milk, cream, or animal 
fat of milky substance. Voluminous matter has been presented to 
the Jews from these scriptures, and a pious person is obliged to wait 
at least five hours after he has eaten any food with flesh till he can 
partake of any food with milk. Furthermore, as a result of this tra- 
dition, the housekeeper is obliged to maintain two sets of dishes, one 
for flesh foods, the other for the foods cooked with milk. Should a 
mistake be made in using any utensil of the one kind in the place of 
the other kind, the food would be forbidden, and the dishes either be 
cleansed or cast aside. The tradition is very forcible. 

Par. 22 (<?) . — The Christian sects are an added stumbling-block to the 
Jewish people. They will often ask, " Which part of the Christian 
religion shall I believe in ? There are so many kinds of Christianity 
that the religion itself is divided and broken up." 



CHAPTER VIII. 



MOW GOD LED IV1E TO THE SAVIOUR. 

1 . While I was being treated so kindly by these people, 
the thought had never come to my mind that I was wrong 
in my religion, and that Judaism could be superseded by 
anything better. The trouble with me, I felt, was that I 
was not living up to my religion as I should, and that if I 
could ever get to it, the thing for me to do was to fully live 
up to the religion of the Bible, Moses, and the prophets. 
It never had occurred to me that their religion was some- 
thing I must have, though I frequently felt that if it were 
on the market, it would be a good thing to purchase. 

2. I never had any convictions that I was a sinner, (a) 
and that I needed personally to have anything to do with 
this Jesus. I only felt that this Jesus was not so bad as 
people made him out to be, and that the Christian religion, 
as I saw it illustrated, was not so evil as I was taught in my 
early days. 

3. Thus, after my health improved, I went to work, and 
did my work as usual. Once in a while it occurred to me 
that I should be a better man, for the Lord was good to 
me, and I ought to appreciate it. Occasionally I would go 
to the synagogue, and in this way seek to pay up some of 
my obligations. I would at times mingle with the Jews, 
and let them know that I was not entirely out of the fold. 
Still I was not yielding much to the influence of the gospel, 
as I did not think that there was anything there for me 

(86) 



HOW GOD LED ME TO THE SAVIOUR 87 

better than Judaism offered. One can realize but little 
how the influences of Judaism are indelibly impressed upon 
the mind of the Jewish child, and how hard they are to 
throw off, even when one begins to feel that there are some 
things which appear better, (b) 

4. Soon I was taken down sick again. It seemed to me 
as though something serious would happen unless I 
changed my occupation and performed other labor where 
my health could improve. At times I would feel fairly 
well, at other times my health was miserable. I did not 
take the care of myself that I needed, as a result I never 
had six months' good health at any one time till after I 
was twenty-two years of age. 

5. I used to attend church occasionally with the people 
of the house, and their interest in my welfare grew. They 
did all they could to assist me, and they would welcome 
me at any time among their friends and church relations. 
While I did not hear very much of their preaching, what I 
did hear seemed in harmony with the Old Testament ; 
that is, it seemed to me that it was the same kind of 
teaching that I learned in my own Old Testament. The 
reader must not be surprised to learn that the Jews do not 
think or believe that the Christians have the same Old 
Testament that the Jews do : for the Jews claim that the 
passages the Christians say refer to Jesus are not in the 
Jewish Bible, the missionaries have inserted these them- 
selves.^) So when I heard them quote from the Old Test- 
ment, it sounded very familiar. I still loved to hear the 
words of Moses and the prophets. 

6. Some of the young men who worked in the same shop 



88 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

sometimes asked me to attend their church, and occasion- 
ally I would do so. When I accepted their invitations, my 
impressions of Christianity waned. As I attended these 
other churches, I felt that there was a difference be- 
tween even these Christians. That the reader may 
appreciate my meaning, I will here insert two illustrations : 

7. One evening one of the young men asked me if I 
would attend a strawberry festival in the church. Of 
course I liked strawberries and cream and cake. I thought 
it would be the same to me to pay fifteen cents for it in a 
church as in any other place. I must confess that I never 
witnessed more hilarity in any place than was manifest 
during this occasion. It seemed as though all sense of 
morality was lost, and the people thought of nothing only 
of seeing how worldly they could behave. But the strange 
part of it all was, as I was about to leave, with several 
others, the preacher came and began to talk religion. He 
sought to impress us that we should belong to the church 
and be Christians. He went on for a while in this strain, 
until we had become thoroughly disgusted with the man 
and with his kind of Christianity. 

8. I attended a Sunday-school in another church. I was 
told that they had a pleasant hour on Sunday afternoon, 
and a man who spoke well, and would I not like to go ? 
Time usually hung heavily on my hands on Sunday, so I 
concluded I would spend an hour, and see what they did. 
Whether I was really getting interested in Christianity or 
not, I was not certain, but I thought it might not do harm, 
if it did not accomplish much good. 

9. After I had attended a few Sundays, the minister who 



HOW GOD LED ME TO THE SAVIOUR 89 

taught the men's Bible class said that the opportunity 
would be given for questions. Certain things had been 
stated in the class which were different from what I had 
been taught, and different from what I heard the other 
ministers preach where I occasionally attended. So I con- 
cluded to send in a written question, and hear what the 
preacher had to say. To my astonishment, as well as my 
disgust, he ridiculed the question, and said nothing about 
the Bible in reply. He just made fun of other beliefs, 
which to me were as Christian as was his belief. Think- 
ing perhaps. I did not fully understand his reply, I ventured 
to speak to the man personally. I was shocked at the way 
he talked to me. He gave me to understand that the re- 
ligion of Christians now was different from what it used to 
be ; there were many things in the Bible which were not 
essential now ; that much of the Old Testament was not 
meant for people living in these times ; that the people who 
taught the obligation of the law of God and truths kindred 
to it did not have much faith in Christ, and much more 
along this line. I must confess that when I left him, I had 
very little use for him, his church, or his religion. 

10 Thus the reader will understand why it was that my 
impressions of the Christian religion weakened as I would 
attend different religious places, and it seemed to me that 
this whole thing must be a sort of Babel. It was a regular 
confusion. All would claim to be Christian ; no two kinds 
agreed ; every kind would seek to tear down the other 
kind ; and they all had different views of the same thing. 
Yet when I would go to church with my friends, I would 
hear the blessed words of God which seemed to sound so 



90 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

good. Of course it had much of the Saviour in it, and the 
Old and the New Testaments seemed to be closely 
combined. 

1 1 . One thing about the family with whom I lived was 
very impressive ; they lived their religion more than they 
talked it. To be sure they talked it at times, yet to me 
they said but little. They illustrated it. I could not ap- 
preciate this at the time, but their lives were indeed a living 
exposition of the Christian religion. For two years I had 
been with this family ; they claimed to believe the Bible, 
and they acted it ; they taught that Jesus was the Saviour 
of all men, and they showed their faith in this by following 
His example. They observed the Sabbath of the Lord, 
did not eat swine's flesh, paid their tithes, and had a very 
different spirit from many others who called themselves 
Christians. At the same time, they claimed that in a little 
while they were going to see this same Jesus coming again 
in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Their 
treatment of me was unusually kind, and they showed such 
a great interest that it was beyond explanation. When 
they had their prayers, they used to pray for me, and it 
seemed as though I belonged to them. They wished me 
to have what they were enjoying. And God was indeed 
hearing their prayers. 

12. One night after attending a meeting of the temper- 
ance society to which I belonged, I had bidden my friend 
good-night, and started to the house. Just as I turned a 
street corner, suddenly there came a peculiar haze over my 
vision, and it seemed as though I could scarcely see. The 
electric lights were all burning, and though I was not a 




THE SAVIOUR OF ALL MEN. 



HOW GOD LED ME TO THE SAVIOUR 9 1 

great distance from a twelve-hundred-candle-power arc 
light, there seemed to be a sort of veil between me and it. 
Everything was hazy and blurred. A strange and peculiar 
feeling crept over me. What was happening I could neither 
explain nor understand. Not being able to see clearly, and 
having this strange feeling come upon me, I hardly knew 
what to do. There was no one in sight, as it was late at 
night. Suddenly a great fear came upon me, and I started 
to hurry to my room. I walked very fast, and was sure I 
heard somebody walk just as fast as I was walking. I 
heard the repetition of my steps. I felt terribly afraid, 
and knew not what to do. I finally decided to run, and 
ran with all my might. I heard these same steps going as 
rapidly as mine went. I was sure that some one was chas- 
ing me from behind, and I was being haunted from within. 

13. I reached my room and locked the door. I could 
not sleep very well that night, yet could not explain what 
had happened.' It was something new, and strange, and 
peculiar. No one had done anything to me, no one had 
been saying anything to me. Still a peculiar experience 
had come into my life that I could not comprehend. I 
said nothing in the morning, but went to work. God, how- 
ever, was preparing me for what was coming, and the Holy 
Ghost had already begun the work. This I learned a little 
later. 

14. The next day while at the dinner-table, the man of 
the house was telling me something about religion, and 
what people should do. He was rather talkative this day 
on religious subjects, and finally, turning to me, he said, 
"Fred, you ought to be a Christian," and with this he 



92 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

stopped. No more needed to be said. I soon left the 
table and went to my work. All that afternoon I heard 
nothing save, " You ought to be a Christian." Every- 
where I moved, every time I took my knife to cut the 
leather, from every one I met, I could hear the words, 
" You ought to be a Christian." I had never read the 
New Testament, knew nothing of what was in it, only what 
I had heard of it occasionally ; then some said it contained 
one thing, and some said another. Ought I to be a Chris- 
tian ? That was the question. I had been repeatedly told 
never to have anything to do with Christianity, and while 
I had already learned that it was not so bad as I supposed 
it to be, still it was nothing for me to accept, and what had 
I to do with it ? 

15. But this dear man had said to me, "You ought to be 
a Christian." It was this man who was such a good man, 
whose life was so different from that of most other people 
that I had met, who was so kind and interested, and who 
had done for me all that a father could do. It was he who 
said, " You ought to be a Christian." I could find no fault 
with him ; I could see no inconsistencies in his religion. 
He believed in the Old Testament the same as I did, but 
he believed in the New also. He said that I ought to be 
a Christian. And how the Holy Ghost did drive that state- 
ment into my soul that afternoon and evening! 

16. That evening I went to a class where there were 
some persons preparing to engage in Christian colporteur 
work. They all seemed happy, and were glad that they 
were going to distribute the word of God, to tell people 
about this Jesus who was coming again. Nearly all through 



HOW GOD LED ME TO THE SAVIOUR 93 

the service, the words were ringing in my ears, "You 
ought to be a Christian," and I could get no rest. I 
reached the house late that night. It being the little girl's 
birthday, the children had a birthday party, and some of 
the refreshments were saved till I returned. I seated my- 
self at the board at about ten twenty in the evening. It 
was a long extension table, circular at each end, and I sat 
at one end. 

17. I had not been sitting there very long, when sud- 
denly I was seized with a peculiar feeling. I was alone in 
the room, as the family had retired, save Mr. Fiske, and he 
was nowhere in sight. It seemed that some ' one was 
standing behind my chair and placing a load on my back. 
It was getting heavier and still heavier, and felt as though 
it would crush me. I could hardly move. Of a sudden I 
began to choke, and could not swallow the food. I knew 
not what it meant, and did not know what to say about it 
Then, of a sudden, I saw on the other side of the lamp* 
which was about two feet distant from me on the table, four 
words written in letters of fire. The letters each seemed 
about four inches long, and they looked like gold. . The 
words were, "YOU ARE A SINNER." When I saw 
these words, a terrible feeling came upon me. What could. 
I do ? What did it mean ? Here was a presentation with- 
out any hand writing it, and no one seeing it or knowing 
anything about it but myself. I was a sinner, these words 
said, and I felt as though I was. I was terribly perplexed, 
and I had no one to help me. 

18. Suddenly I heard a voice say to me, " Why do you 
not ask Mr. Fiske to pray with you ? " As quickly as pos* 



94 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

sible I called to him, and asked him if he would pray with 
me. I felt as though something must be done that I might 
get relief. We both went on our knees, this being the 
first time that I ever had bowed the knee in prayer. He 
prayed for me, and asked God to forgive my sins. When 
he had finished, I immediately felt that I wished to pray, 
and for the first time in my life I asked God in the name 
of Jesus to forgive me my sins. Oh the wonderful, the 
blessed, and the precious, peace that came into my soul ! 
It seemed to me as though the very light of heaven was 
shining in that room, and the glory of God was manifest. I 
could clearly see that Jesus was my Saviour, that He was 
the One who died for my sins, that He was my own dear 
Friend, and that He had called me to be His child. What 
a wonderful flood of light and happiness came into my life ! 
I had gotten a glimpse of Jesus Christ. God had indeed 
called me to Himself, I had found Jesus, and I found 
Him to be my own Messiah. I felt that I was transformed 
into a new world, that a new life had entered my being. 
The load was gone, and it seemed to me as though I could 
walk on air. 

19. Oh what a wonderful thing it was to have Jesus 
come into the heart ! This same blessed Jesus, that I was 
taught to hate, despise, scoff at, and ridicule, was really and 
truly the Messiah, the Son of the living God, the Holy 
One of Israel, and I had never known how good He was 
till now. Now He had forgiven my sins, taken away all 
the load of guilt from my soul, revealed Himself to me as 
He was, and called me to be one of His followers. It was 
blessed, blessed indeed ! That night was a far different 



HOW GOD LED ME TO THE SAVIOUR 95 

one from the preceding, and I felt very happy, being 

" Safe in the arms of Jesus, 

Safe on His gentle breast ; 
There by His love o'ershaded, 

Sweetly my soul doth rest." 

20. The next morning as soon as I awoke, I felt that I 
had entered into this new life, a new experience, a new pur- 
pose ; yes, a new world. The first impression that came to 
me was that I must now leave the shoe business, and go 
and tell everybody about Jesus. All the people must know 
about this Christ, this wonderful and blessed Messiah, this 
beloved Son of the living God. As soon as I came into 
the dining-room, I said to the brother, and to all the family, 
that I had found Jesus. He had forgiven me my sins, and 
now I was going to sell my tools, leave the shop, and begin 
at once to proclaim these wonderful things about the Mes- 
siah. I felt as though every one would be only too glad to 
hear. I had not known about it all these years. I had 
been taught to hate the blessed Saviour, and I felt sure 
that when I told the people what Jesus had done for me, 
how He had led me through such a wonderful experience, 
every one would wish to accept Him, especially those of 
my Jewish brethren who had been through the same ex- 
perience that I had been. I gave notice to the foreman 
that I was going to leave my position, as I was now going 
to tell the people about Jesus. Oh I was so happy, for I 
had found the Pearl of Great Price ! 

2 1 . It was not very long before the men in the factory 
learned that I had become a Christian, and to let that be 
known in a shoe shop is to be prepared for a hard and ter- 
rible experience. It did not make any difference to me ; 



96 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

for I had found Christ; that was all I wanted. This 
blessed knowledge was more than all else ; I felt that I 
could endure anything for this dear Jesus. 

22. The idea of persecution or tribulation or anything of 
that character never entered my mind, as the Lord doubt- 
less kept that away from me at that time. He just rilled 
my soul to overflowing, and impressed me deeply that this 
Jesus with whom I had become acquainted, who had re- 
vealed Himself to me as the Christ, was truly the Messiah, 
and my only hope, — the same One I had been hating all 
these years. 

23. The next Sabbath I left my work, and observed 
the day as holy unto the Lord. How different it seemed 
to me from the Sabbaths that I had observed when a boy 
and a young man. Before, I kept it because I was taught 
to do so, because I was told that the Bible said so, because 
it was handed down from my ancestors to my people 
throughout the centuries. Now, I kept it because Jesus 
was in the Sabbath. Jesus, the Messiah, was the Creator 
as well as the Saviour ; now it was doubly holy. It was not 
only a memorial of Creation, it was also a memorial of re- 
demption. How precious its holy hours seemed, and what 
blessed peace was flooding my soul ! 

24. One of my first desires when I became a Christian 
was to know what was in the New Testament. As I have 
previously stated I knew nothing of it, having never read 
its teachings. I was now hungry for its knowledge. I 
immediately began to study, and to compare it with the 
Old Testament, and what a flood of light poured into my 
soul ! I could indeed appreciate the truthfulness of the 



HOW GOD LED ME TO THE SAVIOUR 97 

words of the apostle Paul when he said that blindness had 
happened to Israel, that a great veil was upon their hearts 
which blinded their minds. When that veil, however, was 
removed, and the heart turned to the Lord, they would see 
ci early the meaning of Moses and the prophets, and Jesus 
Christ would be the one absorbing, central figure. 1 I 
could scarcely leave the book alone. I wanted to devour 
it. It seemed like such a precious treasure to me. This 
book that I had been forbidden to touch for these many 
years was what I had always needed to open my eyes and 
to give me the true understanding. 2 

25. For many years prior to this time, I had done little 
studying, even in the Old Testament. While I still believed 
that it was the word of God, I took little time to read it. 
As soon as I began to read and study the Old Testament 
in conjunction with the New, many things which had 
puzzled me when a boy were made clear to my mind. I 
had found the true light, and there was no doubting it. 3 

26. Much as I was ashamed before my conversion of 
being a Jew, now I was very glad that I had been a Jew, 
and that Jesus Christ could indeed convert a Jew. I felt 
now that I wished to tell every one that Jesus was my 
Saviour, that I had been a sinful Jew, a Christ hater. 
Now He had revealed Himself to me, and had shown me 
that He was able to save even me. I at once confessed to 
the people of the house that I had hidden my religion from 
them for these two years, and that I had been reared a Jew. 
They informed me that they had concluded this from my 



"2 Cor. 3 : 14, 15 ; 2 2 John 5 : 39 ; 3 John 1 ; 9. 

7 



98 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

association with them, and they seemed very happy, with 
me, for what the Lord had done for my soul. 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 

Paragraph 2 (a). — It is seldom that a Jew will admit that he is a sinner. 
It is written in the " Ethics of the Fathers," "All Israel shall have a 
part in the world to come, for it is written, ' And all thy people shall 
be righteous.' " From this the rabbis have concluded that God's 
love for Israel is so great that somehow He will see that they are all 
saved in the kingdom, if they do not commit any serious outward 
offences. The rabbis have taught that sin is an overt act, and it has 
nothing to do with the inward conduct. This is doubtless why the 
Saviour had the experiences with the Jews that He had along the 
lines of the teaching of the law. See Matt. 5 : 19-37. 

Par. 3 (b). — It is a common saying among the Jews, " If a man is born a 
Jew, he must die a Jew." They say that some time a man will re- 
pent of his evil course, if he leaves the fold of Judaism, because it is 
ordained that man must die in the faith of his fathers. 

Par. 5 (c). — The Jews claim that nowhere in the Old Testament does 
the Bible say anything of Jesus or of His death and crucifixion. 
- I well remember one evening, while speaking with a Jew about the 
death of the Saviour, I mentioned the fact that the Old Testament 
spoke of Christ's being pierced. He refused to admit that there was 
such a statement. I turned to the prophet Zechariah, and there 
showed him from the twelfth chapter and tenth verse that it plainly 
states, " They shall look upon me whom they have pierced.' The 
Jew immediately said there was no such verse in the Bible, but the 
missionaries doctored the Bible up to suit themselves, so that their 
ideas of the prophecies might fit. 



CHAPTER IX. 



A. CALL TO WORK FOR THE LORD JESUS. 

1 . I worked in the factory for ten days after I had ac- 
cepted the Lord Jesus. The men in the shop persecuted 
me bitterly. One day, while at the bench, I received a 
fearful blow in my neck. They had thrown a large orange 
at me, which nearly stunned me. I felt happy and thank- 
ful that I was permitted to suffer for Jesus. They called 
me all manner of names, such as Sheeny, Jew, and many 
similar terms, but I thanked the Lord that I was permitted 
the privilege of suffering for His name's sake. If I left 
the bench for a few minutes, they would hide my tools, 
that I might be bothered, and so not get my work done. 
Then again they would put the zinc patterns under the 
leather. When I went to cut with the- sharp knife, the 
edge would strike the zinc. This would hurt the knife, if 
it did not cut my finger. They sought in various ways to 
hurt and persecute me, but I did not mind it. 

2. If they had done such things at other times, I should 
have retaliated ; now I felt sorry for them. I just pitied 
them, and thought if they only knew what they were doing 
they would cease. Some of the young men who claimed to 
be Christians would join in with these rowdies. All these 
experiences seemed to confirm my love for Christ and my 
faith in Him as my helper. (#9) 



IOO JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

3. On my return to the shop the Monday morning after 
I kept the first Sabbath in Christ, there was a strange 
spectacle at my bench. It seems that on Saturday, while 
the foreman was absent, they gathered up a mass of rubbish, 
such as old bags, bottles, rags, suspenders, shoes, and a lot 
of other similar junk, put them in a bag, and attached it to 
the work bench. Expecting to reach the shop before I did 
Monday morning, they thought they should have some fun 
at my expense, and in this way they thought they would 
laugh me out of Christianity. It is true that I formerly 
did not enjoy work very much ; but as soon as I found the 
Lord Jesus and read what a great worker He was, I felt I 
must do everything differently, as to the Lord. Instead of 
getting to the shop a few minutes late, I now reached there 
a few minutes before time to work. By so doing, I was 
there earlier than the other men, and had all the rubbish 
cleared away ere they came. They not only felt angry 
at me, but were chagrined to think they were the ones 
who were fooled. 

4. I realized that it made very little difference how they 
acted, as soon I should leave the shop. But I felt as though 
I was there now to witness for Jesus, and if I acted as I 
did before I was converted, the Lord would be denied. 
Now I was to bear testimony for Him, and so must accept 
all experiences as they came and be happy in them. The 
Lord gave me grace and strength to bear all things for 
His sake. 

5 . . A few days after I was converted, I was lying in bed 
one morning, just about waking time, when I suddenly 
heard a voice. It was such a sweet, soft, melodious voice 



A CALL TO WORK FOR THE LORD JESUS IOI 

that I shall never forget it. It clearly said these words : 
" Fear thou not ; for I am with thee ; be not dismayed ; 
for I am thy God : I will strengthen thee ; yea, I will help 
thee ; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my right- 
eousness." 

The voice added, " Forty-one, ten." I was not certain 
whether it said, Isaiah forty-one, ten, or Numbers forty-one, 
ten. I awoke, and asked, " Who is there ? " 

The voice was so audible and distinct that I felt sure the 
person was right in the room. I quickly arose from the 
bed and looked all about the room. I looked in the closet 
and in the open attic, but could find no one. It then 
dawned on me that the Lord had given me these words for 
my comfort and encouragement. I went on my knees, 
and how thankful I was to the dear Lord for the sweet 
and comforting message He had sent to my soul. 

6. I did not remember ever hearing these words. In my 
younger days when I had studied the Old Testament, it 
was almost exclusively in Hebrew and in Yiddish. All 
the prayers in the synagogue were in Hebrew, likewise all 
the teaching at the rabbi's was in Hebrew and in Yiddish. 
I knew very little of the English Bible, only as I read it 
occasionally in the day school. I could nearly always tell 
in Hebrew what people were reading in the English, but 
had never heard much of the Bible so as to memorize it in 
the English. But these words made a deep impression on 
my mind. 

7. As soon as I went down-stairs I told the family what 
had happened, and asked them to please look in the book 
of Numbers to see if there was such a verse there. They in- 



102 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

formed me that there were not so many chapters as that in the 
book. On turning to Isaiah they found the chapter and 
the verse. How precious that verse has been to me these 
many years ! 

8. Many, many times during the past twenty-two years, 
when the enemy has come in like a flood, when it has 
seemed as though the heavens were dark and the clouds 
hung heavily, these beautiful words of God have been a 
blessing to my soul. The dear Lord has verified these 
words to me again and again, and a multitude of fears have 
been removed when the Holy Spirit has brought this pre- 
cious and blessed promise to my soul. 

9. This experience was an added evidence that God had 
called me to work for Him. I now felt that I not only 
must leave the shop, but must dispose of everything that I 
had, and " burn the bridges behind." I would not even 
keep my tools, lest they might be a temptation to return to 
this kind of employment. My friends advised me not to 
be rash, as some time I might wish to use them again. 
But I felt that God had spoken to me. The dear Jesus 
was so good in revealing Himself to me that I knew there 
need be no apprehension for the future. 

10. After I decided to leave secular work, I concluded 
that I would engage in colporteur work. I very much 
needed to learn the Bible, and to know more of the New 
Testament ; at the same time, I felt that I must spend a 
large part of my time in telling the people about this Jesus, 
to prepare them for the coming of this Saviour the second 
time. As previously stated, my knowledge of the New 
Testament was very meager ; now I felt I must know more 



A CALL TO WORK FOR THE LORD JESUS IO3 

about it. I desired to learn all that I could, in order 
to tell others the truth more effectively. I was then more 
than ever convinced that God had called me, and I did not 
wish to be disobedient to the heavenly vision. 

1 1 . One day, while I was walking the streets and think- 
ing about going to work for God, this thought came to me: 

"How are you going to get a living ? You have given 
up your position, you have no money, you have never done 
anything in this line of work, and people will not buy these 
books from you. How will you get something to eat ? " 

Immediately there came to my mind these words : 

"Jesus died for me. I am sure I have nothing, but He 
has agreed to take care of me through all eternity. He 
took care of my fathers in the wilderness for forty years 
after He called them out of Egypt, and He fed them all 
the time so they lacked nothing. He has done so much 
for me in the past, and has agreed to do so much for me 
in the future, can I not trust Him to take care of me now ? 
Of course I can." 

At once, I felt an added happiness, and I decided by the 
grace of God to let him take care of me. 

12. It is true that I was in a peculiar position at this 
time, as the reader may judge. On account of sickness, I 
had contracted a heavy doctor's bill I had been a debtor 
for my illness of scarlet fever, and had not paid that debt. 
Having just been converted, I had no chance of saving 
money. Here I was just beginning to work for the Lord 
without experience, having no money, and not knowing 
when or where I should obtain any ; in debt, no work, and 
not knowing what the future would be. Of course from 



104 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

the world's standpoint it seemed dark ; but my faith was 
strong in God, and I knew He would surely help me, for 
He told me He would. 

13. When I was converted, the feelings of my friends 
and relatives never troubled me. They did not seem to 
enter into the situation. But after a few days the thought 
came to me, Now what have you done ? When mother 
hears what has happened, it will kill her. Think how you 
hated the Christians and the religion they profess ; how 
you blasphemed it when a boy. It will surely kill mother 
when she hears of it. It will disgrace all the family, and 
they will bury you from their memory. All your relatives 
will kill you if you ever come near where they are, as you 
know it is a law that a Jew must not be permitted to live 
after accepting this awful religion, (a) This thought, and 
many others, kept crowding into my mind, and the devil 
tried hard to upset me. Yes, I knew what it meant. I 
knew it would break my mother's heart, and I knew too, 
if I did not believe in Jesus it would break His heart. In 
fact He broke His heart on my account, in order that my 
heart might be broken. How can I now, after He has 
shown me so much light, and given me such great blessings, 
because of my parents and relatives, reject Him and lose 
my own soul . ?I I was aware that. my relatives would dis- 
own me. I knew they would kill me if they had the 
chance. I knew they would consider me dead. But what 
of that? Did not God say, "When my father and my 
mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up " ? 2 Did 

*Ps. 69:20, 21. 2 Ps. 27-.10. 



A CALL TO WORK FOR THE LORD JESUS IO5 

not Jesus say we should not be afraid of them that can kill 
the body, but can do no more ? Did not the people kill 
Him ? If He was willing to die, why should I be afraid ? 
And the Lord blessed me with His own peace. 

14. It is a fact that the Jews will do all that has been 
written, and more also, to their relatives and friends, if 
they accept Christ. Many illustrations might be given at 
this point; but I will mention just one; others will be 
given along the way. 

15. A few years after I accepted Christ, I went to 
New York to attend the wedding of my cousin. I had not 
seen these relatives for a number of years, although they 
knew I had accepted the Saviour. It did not seem real to 
them, because the last time they had seen me I was a Jew. 
I felt that the Lord wanted me to attend this wedding, as 
it would give me an opportunity to bear witness for Jesus. 
This was the first time I had been among the Jews since 
I became a Christian. My brother went with me, and they 
seemed pleased at first to see me. While the people were 
gathering to go to the synagogue to attend the marriage 
ceremony, a conversation arose concerning the condition of 
the Jews at the present time, and why they have had all 
their troubles these many centuries. One said one thing, 
another gave a different reason. A number were in the 
store waiting to depart, and it looked to me like a cross to 
speak before them. Finally I spoke up and said : 

" The reason why we have been so persecuted, and have 
had all these troubles these many years is because we re- 
jected our only hope and Messiah, Jesus Christ, and we 
crucified Him. As long as we reject Him, and do not be- 



106 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

lieve in Him as our Saviour and Messiah, we shall contin- 
ually be in trouble." 

1 6. As soon as I said this, a brother-in-law of the bride 
threw up his hands and leaped towards me, shouting, 

"Kill him, kill him, how dare he talk that way." He 
was wild and furious, and would doubtless have accom- 
plished his purpose had not the people interfered. Yes, 
and there were other of my relatives who then would have 
killed me. They said I did such an awful thing, and was 
not fit to live. 3 But God saved my life, and I got away 
without any serious bodily injury. 

17. In some orthodox communities, when the parents 
receive word that a child or brother or sister has accepted 
Christ, they will have a coffin made, and a funeral proces- 
sion will follow the casket to the grave. This box will be 
lowered into the grave, and the people will go through all 
the forms and ceremonies as though the person were really 
dead and buried. Should some of the relatives after this 
experience meet this person on the street, they would 
know him no more than as though they had never seen or 
heard of him. It is a real death and burial, and is a sepa- 
ration forever, unless the Holy Ghost impresses the family 
to be reconciled. This is the requirement of rabbinical 
Judaism. 

18. If a husband or wife accepts Christ, the other party 
may go to the rabbi to secure a divorce. They are not al- 
lowed to live together, as the believer is considered dead. 
The persecution is terrible and this condition stares every 

3 Acts 22 : 22. 



A CALL TO WORK FOR THE LORD JESUS 107 

Jew in the face when he accepts Christ. But, bless God, 
Jesus makes up to one's soul more than all the friends can 
do against him. 

19. I felt that I must write to my people and let them 
know what had happened. I was aware what it "would cost 
me to do this ; but not to do it would be to deny my faith 
in Jesus. I prayed much over the matter, and the Lord 
helped me to say the things which needed to be told. Suf- 
fice it to say that for almost rive years after this I did not 
hear a word directly from home ; I was dead and buried to 
them. A few days after I accepted Christ, a brother of 
mine arrived in this country. When I told him what had 
happened to me, he was much surprised, and knew not 
what to say. He could scarcely realize it ; for I had writ- 
ten to him to come to this country, thinking it would be a 
nice thing to have a brother here, as we could work to- 
gether agreeably at our business. When I wrote to him 
to come, I had neither thought nor knowledge that Christ 
would own me before he would reach here. But thus it 
was. On his arrival, he had no money or friends. I im- 
mediately secured him a position, asked the people with 
whom I had lived to care for him, and divided with him all 
that I possessed in this world. Leaving him in good 
hands, I started to work for God with two dollars as all 
my financial capital, but with a good degree of faith in 
Christ. 



108 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

EXPLANATORY NOTES. 

Paragraph 13 {a). — The Christian knows but little of what the Jew has 
to suffer when he accepts the Christian religion. Much might be 
written on this point; but to make the matter clear, we here give an 
object-lesson of what happened to a surgeon in the United States 
army who gave his heart to Christ, and what word he received from 
his Jewish mother in Germany after telling her he had accepted 
Christ as His Messiah : " Max : — You are no longer my son ; we 
have bid d you in effigy; we mourn you as one dead. And now 
may the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob strike you blind, deaf, and 
dumb, and damn your soul forever. You have left your father's re- 
ligion and the synagogue for that of Jesus the ' Impostor,' and now 
take your mother's curse.— Clara." Here is the doctor's answer to 
rils mother's letter. 

"ANSWER TO MY MOTHER'S CURSE." 

'' Far away from home, my mother, 

Daily will I pray for thee ; 
Why should I be cursed, my mother? 

Why such message sent to me ? 
Once convinced of sin, my mother, 

I cried, ' Jesus, set me free ! ' 
I am happy, now, my mother ; 

Christ, the Jew, has died for me. 

*•' Him you taught me to hate, my mother 

Him you st 11 ' Impostor ' call, 
Died for me on Calvary, mother, 

Died to save me from the fall. 
Let me lead you to Him, mother, 

While I pray on bended knee : 
* Jesus, now accept my mother ; 

Loving Jesus, set her free.' 

" Be persuaded, dearest mother, 

Do not now so hardened be ; 
Jesus Christ, the Jews' Messiah 

Surely died for you and me. 
Can you spurn such mercy, mother? 



A CALL TO WORK FOR THE LORD JESUS IOQ 

Can you turn away your face ? 

Come to Jesus, come, dear mother, 

Fly, oh fly, to His embrace ! " 

— Charlie Coulson, the Drummer Boy. 
Published by Good Tidings of the Messiah, Concord, Mass. Two 
:opies for five cents. 




THE PUBLICANS PRAYER " GOD BE MERCIFUL 
TO ME A SINNER." 



CHAPTER X. 



MY EXPERIENCES AS A. COLPORTEUR. 

i For three weeks before I started out in colporteur 
work, I spent the time in preparation and study. Just before 
I left my brother, he asked me how my side affected me. 
The reader will remember the accident referred to in a 
previous chapter, and how after the setting of the rib it had 
not properly knit together. It troubled me for years, and 
at times was very painful. For some reason I had not 
given the matter much attention until he asked me about 
it. I put my hand to my side, and lo, the side was healed. 
At first it quite surprised me. I could not understand how 
this could have happened. I had been told by physicians 
years before that I should always be troubled with the 
bone's protruding unless I had an operation. Now it was 
all healed. The only explanation I could give to him was 
that the Lord had removed the obstruction. From that 
time to the present, I never have been troubled with that 
side, and never have been inconvenienced as a result of it. 

2. My health now was much better than formerly, and, 
by carefulness in diet, I continued to improve. Previously 
to my conversion, it did not seem possible that I could live 
very long, unless some wonderful work were done for me. 
When I accepted Christ and His life, I changed not only 
my religion but also my diet. I found that the Bible 

(HO) 



MY EXPERIENCES AS A COLPORTEUR III 

teaching was good, not only for the soul but also for the 
body. 1 

3. I decided very shortly after I accepted Jesus that I 
must be baptized. It seemed to me that I must follow 
everything the Lord said. It was a great blessing to fol- 
low in the steps of Christ, and so I went down into the 
watery grave, and arose to walk in a new life. Every step 
in the path of duty I traveled, brought me help and 
blessing, (a) 

4. The Lord blessed me in my colporteur work. I en- 
joyed the work, and had many rich experiences. After 
spending many hours a day in house-to-house work, a share 
of the night was spent in reading the Bible. The desire 
and eagerness to know the words of the Lord Jesus seemed 
to grow upon me, and at times I would spend nearly all of 
the night, in order to find out more about the way of eter- 
nal life. The more I dug into the mine of truth, the more 
I received light and blessing. The oracles of the Bible 
constantly were illuminated before me, and where before I 
could see nothing but certain statements concerning what 
God did anciently, I now beheld light and joy concerning 
the riches of the grace of Christ. It seemed to me that 
not only the New Testament was full of the Lord Jesus, 
but the Old Testament was also. I certainly searched for 
the truth as for hid treasure, and the Lord rewarded the 
efforts. 

5. One thing impressed me very forcibly in my study of 
the word of God, and that was the similarity between the 

x Isa. 55 : 2 ; 3 John 2. 



112 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

Old Testament and the New. I. discovered that the New 
Testament did not teach anything in the way of new truth ; 
it was just the fulfilment of what had been written in the 
Old. 2 I saw more and more that Christianity was not do- 
ing away with Moses and the prophets ; it was simply the 
culmination of what had been taught. It appeared to me 
as though the Old Testament was the planting of the seed, 
and the New Testament was the. fruit of that seed. 3 The 
more I continued my search, the more I was rewarded 
with precious light and knowledge from the fountain of 
God's treasure-house. 

6. Every moment I could spare I devoted to the study 
of the blessed Book, and it was a delight to me by day as 
well as a joy by night. Though often laboring hard during 
the day, traveling many miles, visiting a large number of 
homes, at times being buffeted, it gave me much pleasure 
to look forward to the time when I could go to my room 
and receive a better knowledge of the words of the Lord 
Jesus. 

7. How surprised I was to find in the New Testament 
that the Christian church did not abolish or abrogate the 
truths of the Old Testament ! I saw there was no obliga- 
tion for the observance of the first day of the week instead 
of the seventh day for the Sabbath. 4 The early church 
followed the support of the gospel ministry in the same 
manner as did the Jewish church. 5 The means of com- 
municating the truth to the church was the same as God 
gave in the Old Testament ; namely, the gift of prophecy. 6 

2 Matt. 5 : 17 ; Luke 24 : 27, 44-46. 3 Gen.3:15; Ps. 132 : 11 ; Luke 1 : 

Sl-34. 'Luke4:16; Actsl7:l-3. U Cor. 9 : 13, 14. 6 Rev. 12:17; 19 : 10. 



MY EXPERIENCES AS A COLPORTEUR II3 

No permission was given to abolish the laws of clean and 
unclean animals. For many other things which I had al- 
ways supposed were part of the Christian religion, I found 
no ground in the New Testament. I discovered that all 
the apostles of Jesus were Jews ; that for nearly four years 
after the ascension of Christ to heaven there was not a 
sermon preached outside of Judea ; that the day of Pente- 
cost was a gathering of Jewish believers, and that many 
thousands of other Jews were believers in Christ for a 
number of years after the Saviour had ascended to heaven. 7 
The more I studied the New Testament, the more I was 
convinced that the Jewish rabbis were wrong in teaching 
us such errors, and the masses of the professed Christian 
people were in error in advocating such teaching as is pop- 
ularly accepted for gospel light. 

8. I spent nine months successively in colporteur work 
and in the study of the Bible; the more I visited the 
homes of the people, the more I desired to work for souls. 
The more I studied the Bible, the more I longed for an 
education. Often in my travels I met with many Jews, 
and talked with them about the Saviour. At first many of 
them would not even believe that I was a Jew ; but when 
they were convinced that I was, they thought I must be 
doing this kind of work for the money that was paid me. 
When they learned that some days I had to travel many 
miles, and then earned but little, even though I worked 
hard ■ for what I received, they would say they could not 
understand how a Jew could do so. 

. 7 Acts21:20. . - 



114 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

9. It was encouraging to me to find people who wished 
to know more of the word of God. I was rejoiced when I 
found souls hungry for the bread of life, as I was. I 
greatly felt my inability to help the people, having so little 
Christian experience ; but I found that the Lord was giv- 
ing me much help, and I was constantly becoming more 
familiar with what Jesus and His apostles taught. I met 
with many people who really seemed to hate the Jews. In 
going from house to house, and often telling the people of 
my burden for the lost sheep of Israel, a large number 
seemed to have an antipathy toward the Jews. I then be- 
gan to understand how many persons at the present time 
were preparing to do to the followers of the Saviour as did 
the Jews to the Master Himself when He came the first 
time. Still it was a pleasure to carry to the homes of the 
people the knowledge of a risen and ascended Saviour and 
a soon-coming King. 

10. Many a day I felt the pangs of hunger. People at 
times would not admit me to their homes, as they thought 
I was doing this kind of work because I was not willing to 
do any other form of labor. Many were the nights I had 
difficulty in securing a place to sleep ; but it was precious 
to know that Jesus, too, had not where to lay His head. 

1 1 . I well remember one experience in this respect 
while in this work. Starting out one day after dinner in a 
muddy section of a country town, I inquired of the resi- 
dents if I could find a resting-place for the night. At 
house after house they told me they had no accommoda- 
tions. I was told that most of the people in that section 
were Christian people, and that they were a generous and 



MY EXPERIENCES AS A COLPORTEUR I I 5 

V 

kind people. I continued in my labors for several hours, 
but to every inquiry received no response. I was finally 
told of a wealthy lady, a missionary from Brooklyn, 
N. ■ Y., who was staying in the town, and if I went to see 
her she surely would give me accommodations. I called at 
the house, only to hear her say that since she did not live 
there permanently, but was simply staying there for the 
summer, she could give me no hospitality. I continued in 
my journey till I came to a large boarding-house contain- 
ing about one hundred rooms, a number of which were 
vacant. I asked here if I might be accommodated for the 
night. I was told that the house was full, and there were 
no vacant rooms. I asked them then if they would give 
me something to eat as I was hungry. They took a bowl 
of crackers and milk, set it on a small table in a hallway, 
and offered it to me as though I were a tramp. I was 
thankful for it, enjoyed it, and went on my way. 

12. Many more miles were traveled, no house missed, 
and still no shelter for the night. I was refused lodgings 
in a barn, in a shed, or m any other place, for fear that I 
might set fire to the premises. The shades of night were 
fast falling, and it seemed to me that I should have to lie 
down in the street for the night. I called at another house 
where I had been told I should surely receive a cordial 
welcome. It was now very dark, and I could not see my 
way very clearly to the door of the .house. I suddenly dis- 
covered that I had stepped on a bulldog that was stretched 
across the front of the stoop. Instead of his growling and 
acting ugly, he quietly g;ot up and allowed me to knock at 
the. door. Here I was told that all the family were in, bet|. 



Il6 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

and I must go along and find some other place. I was 
very thankful to God that He protected me from the 
/mouth of this dog, as I afterwards learned that he was a 
very vicious beast. After pursuing my journey some dis- 
tance further, I decided to retrace my steps, and to walk 
back a number of miles into the village, the place from 
which I started. As I was traveling through the dark 
woods, and was realizing the experience through which I 
was passing, there came such joy to my soul, and such a 
flood of light filled my heart, that I shouted with thanks 
and praise to God that I was even permitted to have a part 
in the work of the blessed Lord. When I reached the 
village inn, I was covered with mud from head to foot. 
The inn-keeper, after he looked me over, told me he could 
not accommodate me, as his house was full. I felt that if 
the minister of the village did not open his door to me, I 
should either have to lie down in the street, or else 
walk five miles more to the home where I had some dear 
friends living. The minister cordially took me in, and I 
felt very thankful that: nighti for \ the privilege of working 
for Jesus, and receiving just a little of what He endured 
for my salvation. ... -. 

- 13. I*\vas learning that all such experiences were rich 
blessings from heaven, and every day the Lord Jesus was 
becoming more precious to my soul. I regretted much 
that I had not known Him sooner, for He gave peace and 
joy. to- my heart, which made me very happy. 

-14. Those months of labor were among the most blessed 
of my life. -While I spent several seasons later in the 
same kind of labor, a blessed preparation for future work, 



MY EXPERIENCES AS A COLPORTEUR I I J 

the Lord was indeed very gracious to me in my efforts dur- 
ing the first year of my Christian life. It seemed to me 
that, if I could only tell all my Jewish friends and all peo- 
ple about this Jesus, many of them would certainly accept 
Him. 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 

Paragraph 3 (a). — A baptized Jew is lost in every sense of the word. 
The Jew believes that even though one of his relatives or friends 
accepts Christ, so long as he has not been baptized, there is hope for 
his reclamation. But when one lias been baptized into the name of 
Christ he is beyond the possibility of recovery. 



CHAPTER XL 



A. PITTING FOR THE ^\ r OF^K:. 

I *To M\ r friends and relatives I was as one dead. Af- 
ter I wrote to my dear mother telling her what I had done, 
the step I had taken, the peace and the joy which had come 
into my life, appealing to her as only a child could to a 
mother who cared for him for days, weeks, and months, by 
night as well as by day, because of pain and sickness, I 
never received a reply. I was informed some months af- 
ter, by my brother, that my sister had written to him say- 
ing that my course had shortened my mother's life ten 
years, and that neither she nor the rest of the family cared 
to hear from me any more, unless I would recant. There 
were some things I might do for her : to give up my faith 
and hope in Jesus, I could not do 

2. While I was poor in this world's goods, and strug- 
gling hard to get along, I felt very happy in the love of 
Jesus ; and the feeling was strongly growing upon me that 
I needed more preparation to better qualify me for the 
work of God. When I was converted, I not only felt that 
God had called me to His work, but was convinced that 
He had called me to the ministry, and that I was eventu- 
ally to work for my own people. I realized, however, that 
there was need of a preparation, for God had always pre- 
pared his servants for their work. I therefore decided 
that whenever the way should open to do something for God, 

by His grace I would make that work a form of ministry. 

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A FITTING FOR THE WORK I 1 9 

3. I felt a hungering for an education. I longed to go 
to school. I had many Christian brethren and friends, and 
I found them very dear to me. As I talked with them 
about' my desire for an education, they all encouraged me 
to secure it, and I was determined that if it were the 
Lord's will, I would have it. I had been unable to save 
much during the nine months of my colporteur work, but 
my needs had all been supplied. I found at the close of 
these months of labor that I had more health than when . I 
began ; I had more hope, more courage, more faith. Should 
I now not trust Him to help in this endeavor? He had 
promised to care for me. 1 He had thus far ; He certainly 
would continue to as I walked in His way. 

4. A friend lent me fifteen dollars, and with the few 
dollars I had from the last delivery of my books, I decided 
to spend one term in school at the South Lancaster Acad- 
emy, South Lancaster. Massachusetts. I felt that with 
what knowledge I had of the Hebrew, if I could get one 
term of schooling in English, in addition to what I had, I 
should then be prepared to work for my brethren. The 
burden of laboring for my Jewish people never left me, 
and I always felt that the time would come when I should 
throw my life into that work. 

5. I greatly enjoyed this one term at school, and at its 
close again took up the colporteur work. But that experi- 
ence only created an appetite for more study, which 
seemed to me insatiable. I was more convinced than ever 
that I was not ready to do the work of the Lord, and I 

*1 Pet. 5 : 7. 



120 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

must receive further training. I had no money, it "is; true, 
but I had faith in God, and I felt sure that God would 
open the way for me. I had good success during my sum- 
mer vacation, and at the opening of the school term in the 
fall of 1890 I was present on time. My health had greatly 
improved this second year, for the Lord was blessing me 
physically as well as spiritually. While I was not rugged, 
I was able to endure more hardship, and felt greatly re- 
lieved of pain. I knew that the Lord had rich blessings 
in store for me, if I would continually trust in Him. 

6. Then the question arose in my mind, How can I se- 
cure means to pay for my schooling? The outlook did 
not appear very bright : but as the Lord opened the door I 
entered it. L managed to secure some work while in 
school ; and with four and five studies, I found my hands, 
heart, and head were full. Everything did not move along 
smoothly. The devil was determined that I should not 
gat an education, and he did all in his power to hinder it. 
Not having the money to pay all my way, many a night I 
went to bed hungry, but the Lord sustained me, and I was 
able to go through another day. 

7. The way was opened for me to secure work in con- 
nection with our school laundry. So one day each week 
through the fall, winter, and spring, I would hang out 
from eight to thirteen hundred pieces of clothing. Some- 
times the thermometer registered from five to fifteen de- 
grees below zero, and the snow was from six to eighteen 
inches deep. Working outdoors in this condition for three, 
five, yes, seven and nine hours, would almost freeze my 
limbs, and I was obliged to stop work periodically to get 



A FITTING FOR THE WORK 12 1 

thawed out. After my day's work was done, I would often 
retire to my room, throw myself on the bed, and weep from 
the effects of the cold, and sometimes from the pain. It 
was at such times the devil would press me hard, and come 
to me like this : This is the Christian religion. It is for 
work like this that you have cast aside your mother, your 
relatives, your friends, your people who would gladly do 
anything for you, if you had only remained a Jew. This is 
what you get for being a Christian. ' Had you not better 
discard the whole religion, and return to the religion of your 
fathers ? Leave Christianity ! Leave Jesus ! Leave all 
these blessings ! Never, a thousand times no. It was 
easier to suffer cold, hunger, famine, and nakedness than 
to leave Jesus." While the outward man might perish, the 
inward man was renewed day by day. The training I was 
now having was very precious to me, even though it was 
purchased by some hardships. 

8. In the midst of these experiences I was happy, and it 
was true in my case, the path was growing more and more 
bright. I was enjoying myself in God. I was getting what 
my soul longed for — a better knowledge of how to work for 
Jesus. Still the devil decided that he would tempt me in 
some other way. 

9. While at school I received a sad and pitiful letter from 
home. My dear mother, past sixty years of age, was in 
need of financial assistance. The rest of the family did 
not seem to help her, as most of them were in poor circum- 
stances, and could I not do something to aid her? My 

e Rom. 8 : 35-89 ; 2 Cor. 4 : 10. 



122 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

eldest sister had died, and left five small children. The 
father of the children was unwilling to take care of them, 
and they were all brought to my mother for her to take care 
of. Here she was nearly threescore and ten, with five 
small children, and no one to help her take care of them. 
Could I not do something to help her and them ? Was 
my religion of the kind that was worth anything, when she 
was now in such great need ? 

io. At the receipt of this letter my heart sank within 
me. It was a pitiful epistle, and I realized what it must 
mean for my mother to be left in such a state. What to 
do I did not know. I knew the Lord had called me to 
attend school, and, though I had to work hard, He still 
opened the way for me to continue. Not to do something 
to assist mother would not be in harmony with the religion 
of Jesus. In my distress and perplexity, I went to the 
Lord and earnestly poured out my soul to Him. He had 
helped me so many times in the past that I was sure He 
would not leave me now. That blessed promise, "Fear 
thou not," often came to my mind, and it always en- 
couraged me. 3 To leave school now would mean that 
my education must be abandoned, and I could not receive 
the preparation for the work which I realized I must have. 
To remain in school seemed like denying my faith, and 
turning a deaf ear to the cry for help from my dear ones. 
I thought, too, if I could only help them now, it would 
prove to them that I did love them, and I was willing to 
do all that I could for them. 

3 Isa. 41 : 10. 



A FITTING FOR THE WORK I 23 

11. With this burden on my soul, I went to God, and he 
was surely found of me. But His answer was very different 
from what I had expected ; still I knew that He was leading 
me. The Lord told me if I would stay right where I was 
and continue my school work, remaining right through till 
I had finished my course, He would make provision for my 
mother. He would see that the needs of the children 
were supplied. In addition to this, He promised me that I 
should be privileged some day to go home to London and 
see mother. This answer to prayer was a revelation to 
me. I could neither explain nor understand it. How 
could she be taken care of ? Who would do it ? I felt, 
however, that I must believe God, for I was certain this 
was His answer. So I continued my work. It was a hard 
and trying experience to me, but I decided that, inasmuch 
as I had asked the Lord and He had answered me, I would 
believe what He said. I wish to say in passing that while 
this happened about eighteen years ago, God has fulfilled 
that promise to me. I have been to London to see my 
mother at two different times. Mother is still alive ; and 
is enjoying good health at the ripe age of eighty-four. 
How blessed it is to trust in God, though we cannot al- 
ways understand His ways ! He still is the wonder-work- 
ing God. (a) 

12. I continued my school work for four and a half 
years, and was graduated in the spring of eighteen hundred 
ninety-four. While I had many trying experiences, while I 
suffered hunger as well as endured many deprivations to get 
a preparation, while I had to study whole nights, besides 
working hard by day, while I had gotten heavily in debt in 



124 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

order to get this education, while it seemed impossible at 
times for me to accomplish this task, the mighty God of 
Israel stood by my side, and helped me through it all. I 
felt amply repaid for all the effort, and was glad for the 
pleasure and privilege of being able to have some prepara- 
tion for the blessed arid glorious work of God. 

13. The Lord raised up many tried and true friends dur- 
ing my school days. When at times it seemed as though I 
must stop my work, the providence of God would raise up 
some unexpected person or persons who became interested 
in me, till I should finish the work, One experience in 
particular was an assurance of answered prayer, and has al- 
ways been an encouragement to me. During my junior year, 
my health partially failed, on account of exhausting and 
laborious work. A dear friend invited me to spend the 
summer in New York State, and # take a rest. I appre- 
ciated the kindness extended, but thought what should I 
do next year, if I did not work hard during the summer to 
secure means to pay my way for the finishing year. I 
prayed earnestly to God, and sought counsel from my 
brethren ; the way seemed clear for me to have a change 
for the season. I was still willing to trust the Lord. 

14. I had some very precious seasons that summer, and 
the Lord was very good to me, despite all my mistakes and 
failings. I had the privilege of attending several camp- 
meetings, and it was at one of these camp-meetings in 
charge of that dear friend and man of God, the late Pastor 
S. H. Lane, that I received my first encouragement in do* 
ing public work. 

15. The summer was fast drawing to a close, and it was 



A FITTING FOR THE WORK I 25 

within three weeks of the beginning of school. There was 
no money in sight, and I did not know where it was com- 
ing: from. One day this friend came to me, an d said 
"You may go to school this year and graduate ; I shall be 
glad to" assist you." The blessed Lord surely answered 
prayer in a most remarkable way, and again I had the evi- 
dence of His leading. 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 

Paragraph 11 (a). — In chapter 14 is given an account of my visits home 
and the reconciliation with my mother and ocher relatives. 



CHAPTER XII. 



BEGINNING TO LABOR FOR MYJEWISH BRETHREN. 

i . In the month of June, eighteen hundred ninety-four, 
I went to Boston, Massachusetts, to begin to labor among 
my Jewish brethren. I was asked to connect with a man 
who had been in the Jewish work for several years, and 
who had some experience in working with them. He had 
with him another believing Jew who had very little experi- 
ence as a Christian. Not having been among the Jews for 
a number of years, and not having used the Yiddish for 
some time, I feared I should have difficulty in making my- 
self understood by them. 

2. Some information about Jewish, or Yiddish, language 
may be of interest to the reader. Very few of the Jews of 
to-day speak the language that the Jews spoke two thou- 
sand years ago. The Hebrew language is practically a 
dead language. The Hebrew tongue is called Lo-Shan 
Hakodesh, the holy tongue. It is used by the rabbis some 
of the time, especially on the Sabbath. The masses of the 
Jews, however, do not speak this language because they 
know not how. On the Sabbath day many of the pious 
and devout Jews who are educated, speak the Hebrew. It 
being the holy day of the Lord, they are not supposed to 
use the same vernacular that they speak during the week. 
The dialect the Jews use during secular time is called Yid- 
dish, meaning, literally,//^ talk of the Yid, or Jew. The 
word Yid is an abbreviation of the Hebrew word, Ye-hu~ 

(126) 



BEGINNING TO LABOR FOR MY JEWISH BRETHREN 1 27 

dah, which means Judah. This of course applies to the 
orthodox Jews. 

3. Yiddish is also called Jargon, and truly it is a jargon. 
It is not a language, it is merely a dialect. During the 
days of the Spanish inquisition, when Spain, Morocco, and 
other countries, drove the Jew from their territory, he 
traveled into Europe, and settled thickly in German, Rus- 
sian, and other European territory. As a result of his 
wanderings, he assimilated some of the language and cus- 
toms of the country. Gradually he developed this mixture 
into a tongue, or dialect, called Yiddish. It contains some 
Hebrew, some German, some Russian, and expressions of 
other European tongues. The dialect is so elastic that, 
whenever the Jew wishes to adopt a word for the Yiddish 
in the country where he lives, he makes that word part of 
his vocabulary, and he quickly has an additional stock of 
Yiddish knowledge. In this way many English and Amer- 
ican words and expressions have found their way into the 
dialect, and it all passes for Yiddish in these days. There 
are many newspapers published in this dialect, and 
wherever the orthodox Jew goes, the Yiddish is also there. 
It is rapidly developing into a language, and some of the 
educated men among the orthodox Jews have written dic- 
tionaries and grammars in the development of the tongue. 

4. The Yiddish appears in Hebrew characters when 
used in books, in newspapers, in advertisements, and for 
public reading ; but when used in letters for correspond- 
ence, it appears in a hieroglyphic form. The appearance 
of the printed Yiddish has very little resemblance to the 
Yiddish in correspondence. For the benefit of the reader, 



128 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

we insert on opposite side a page of Yiddish written in 
Hebrew letters. A person who can read the Yiddish in 
the Bible or in the newspaper, does not necessarily read 
the Yiddish in correspondence. The written Yiddish has 
to be learned by itself. This form of writing has been re- 
duced from the Talmudic script, and many of the rabbis 
have written in such a peculiar way that their successors 
can scarcely read what they have written, and it is doubt- 
ful if some of the authors could read their own writings. 

5. Before I gave my first address in Yiddish, I earnestly 
sought the Lord for a special anointing, that I might speak 
to the Jews so that they would understand what I said. I 
had two reasons for this : First, I wished them to under- 
stand the truth of God ; second, I did not want them to 
make sport of the gospel of Christ and bring a reproach 
upon His cause. It must be remembered that the Jew of 
to-day, that is the orthodox Jew, is the identical Jew of 
two thousand years ago. In his ways, customs, peculiari- 
ties, social life, sharpness in wit and sarcasm, in his effort 
to entrap and to ensnare, he has not changed, save that 
with age he has increased his powers in this direction. 
Ninety-five orthodox Jews out of every hundred you meet 
are at first opposed to the gospel. You must not expect 
sympathy from more than five per cent* You truly go to 
them as sheep among wolves. Knowing this to be so, one 
must be guarded in what- he says, for all present at a serv- 
ice have not come to hear the truth. Many have come 
to catch you in your words. They watch very closely what 
you say, that they may entrap you later in asking ques- 
tions. They are close listeners, so that they feign them- 



BEGINNING TO LABOR FOR MY JEWISH BRETHREN 129 

.]y:ffOyiBBnKB 3ri3PTJD 

a ,a j ^&6d i Dj^Enya d\3 irp.« Bpyr pipjr pa 
Mtk ^k-ib* pf>«a r? « ynm waww Ban ny dkvi nan -ijn pk tan^ya 

- •• t : • ' i T • •• V ' V V V TV t - v • : 

Ban ny dkyi Tn yttH yrn y!>x pa t^nya b-ikyi p s p ,Bjnyj dnh ny &ni 

.u ,a ,n k d^d .ntj>D Baysp p\T ijnn BJK?y:;ra 

dkh ny *u«c ,jy»np divk re g»a#; WWW pnv Ban jyriKo spiK 

. .t^yii -ijn pa ijnrr kh pynx to^yj dkvi ex: pa n*6 dxi any? ,tMKTy:i 
pa jmr njn pk d&h tk ,djstj?j nny aan n^« iynyTy:i axn *ps n^K ♦ . 

it. v • t - : t v ■■ t : * v v v t ' • : 

ni> ,83 ,s ,k pm< .aw 

' T 

n^K o^tnyir tyt^x Dyi d^d d*o ,fyt^Kn DDya dki t» jy?&6 avian 
ayi tro d-w;\j ,B*njfcKBJ im P'W* 3 pa J"Enyi? Djn on? e^ !pi« 
jwnwj iJte t^pnyt^v; pa (nto) t^fta fyBiy^TyjiDiK 
.n ,a ,n nyiar-jKP k 

P^kt "nrK ,B:iKTy:i bkh *t:»k ,Diyat3jyyj yi^ Bxn &"¥ nyrabynxn re 
. .. i . . T .. T . ....... .. _ .. T .. .. . . .. m .. 

~iya |yDKT nh Dpan an dnii ,*ny npiK f>y»\7 pa ixn nyoxa p<n ,-in 
yj^p re upyipaajy K"? edxh i^k ,jttHjypEhya ijin ynbp xh pa jyfj^in 
n^ rx DyJ^N : jyisyayj^iKii *i?N vn pn Dy pnwj ,-iyDxa i Ki 11 : njn^j? 
nyn DTjro jn^r Djn d^j |yp "iy^"j? uix •"'^Na p"»» pa lyayjyj-iyzi^ 
« ijn n:^ ,]mT "ijn Diy^: .-lyD^a ayi d^ :yp nyj^p nji« .lyoKS 
.ra-na ,b .w K^no .]yj?y^aDjy jy^yii arrx Dyi-i |mr -ijn jya^jni 

A PAGE OF YIDDISH WITH HEBREW CHARACTERS. 
9 



I3O JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

selves disciples. This they do to entangle you the more. 
So I. felt in my soul that I needed much of the grace of 
God and the power of the Holy Spirit to present the truth 
clearly as it is in Jesus. The Lord surely blessed and 
helped me. I was surprised to see how well I was able to 
use the Yiddish, though it was nearly twelve years since I 
had indulged in conversation in this jargon. My soul was 
longing to help these poor lost sheep. 

6. Many of the Jews listened attentively, while some 
came to scoff and to mock. Some present seemed eager 
to learn, but there were many who sat and gnashed with 
their teeth. I was grateful to God for the encouragement 
I had at the beginning of the work. 

7. I had not been in the field very long before I received 
some of the persecutions we read about. At times the 
Jews would be very abusive in service as well as out of it. 
Occasionally in the middle of the meeting, some of the 
audience would rise up and shout at the top of the voice, 
to drown the words of the speaker. They would blas- 
pheme, and seemed to have no respect for the house of 
God. The more they scoffed and were abusive, the more 
I longed to bring the light to them, for I knew they were 
not aware of what they were doing. There were some 
present while the word of God was being proclaimed, that 
would rise from their seats, and would gnash and chatter 
with their teeth for rage. They would call the speaker a 
liar, saying, "It isn't so, it isn't true." At times a book 
would come flying in the direction of the speaker. I felt 
sorry to see the way they acted, and wondered if that was 
to be the future of the work among the Jews. 



BEGINNING TO LABOR FOR MY JEWISH BRETHREN 131 

8. At the close of the service, it was arranged for the 
inquirers to ask questions, and the audience never failed to 
improve the opportunity. It would astonish you could you 
hear the questions they sometimes asked. The orthodox 
Jews, it should be remembered, are not ignorant of the 
wording of the Scriptures, for there are large numbers of 
pious Jews who can repeat entire chapters of the Bible 
without even looking at the book. The reason for this is 
found in the previous chapters of this book. 

9. Working for Jews is entirely different from working 
for Gentiles. You cannot take your Bible and read a text 
of Scripture to the Jews, and then explain that text with 
some story by way of an illustration of the text. The Jews 
are Bible students ; that is, they know the words of the 
Bible. You may begin a verse in the Hebrew, and the 
audience will finish it for you. You may begin a chapter, 
and nearly all the congregation will read for you, should 
you wish them to finish the chapter, even though they 
may not have their Bibles with them. In dealing with the 
Jews on Bible lines, you must remember that you are not 
dealing with people who are ignorant of Scripture as far as 
the letter of the law is concerned. 

10. It should also be considered that the Jew has more 
than one way of understanding the Bible. It is not neces- 
sary for the orthodox Jew that you translate a text and say 
it means just so. To him every verse has many ways of 
being understood.. Here is what a rabbi says about un- 
derstanding the Bible, and this rabbi is a great authority 
in /Hebrew lore. The following comment is read seven 
days a week by every Jewish child and Jewish adult : 



I32 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

11. "Rabbi Ishmael says, that the law [that is the 
Bible] is to be expounded in thirteen different ways : 1 . 
Light and heavy, an inference from a major to a minor, 
and from a minor to a major. 2. A decision adduced from 
an agreement or equality of texts. 3. From the principal 
constitution contained in one verse, and principal constitu- 
tion deduced from two verses. 4. From comparing a gen- 
eral description with its specified particular. 5. From a 
particular text followed by a general one. 6. Precepts 
treated of first in general, then in particular, then again in 
general. Thou must not adjudge but according to that 
which is similar to the particular. 7. From a general 
description that requires a particular or specific text to ex- 
plain it ; and from a particular text that requires a general 
one," etc. We might continue much more along this 
same line. You can judge from this quotation how the 
Jews are taught to understand the Scriptures. All of 
these different ways are first to be expounded by the wis- 
dom of the sages. 

12. Another rabbi, Rabbi Judah, the prince who col- 
lected all the Jewish writings from the fourth century be- 
fore Christ till the second century after Christ, and formed 
the work called the Talmud, claimed that the Bible may 
be interpreted in thirty-two different ways, and each inter- 
pretation is as valuable as every other. These different 
ways of explaining the Bible have largely been the cause of 
the Jews' rejecting so many of the prophecies of the Old 
Testament concerning the Messiahship of Jesus 

13. Many of the Jewish people claim that, inasmuch as 
the rabbis have taught that you may interpret the Scrip- 



BEGINNING TO LABOR FOR MY JEWISH BRETHREN I 33 

tures in four ways, in thirteen ways, in thirty-two ways, 
you have the right to explain them in as many ways as you 
wish. One time I was having a conversation with a 
learned Jew about the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, trying 
to show him that the chapter must refer to Jesus as the 
Messiah. After I finished translating the chapter, he said 
to me : 

" Gilbert, let me translate it for you. I will show you a 
good way to interpret the Scriptures, and I will show you 
how it cannot have anything to do with Jesus." He in- 
troduced the subject with many of the stories of the rabbis, 
and then proceeded with his interpretation. 

14. After listening attentively I asked him, "But what 
do you do with a number of the verses which absolutely 
contradict what you say ? You claim that the chapter 
refers to the Jewish people. You say the chapter explains 
the condition of the Jewish people. God regards the Jews 
as He would one person. In this way you infer He looks 
upon their sufferings. But are not the Jews God's people ? 
Do you not claim that the Jews are the chosen people of 
God ? What do you think then that the text meant when 
it says, 'The Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us 
all,? Whose iniquities did God lay on him, and who are 
the * us all ' referred to in the text ?" 

Getting rather excited, he said to me : " But look here, 
Gilbert, this is only one way of explaining this chapter. I 
can give you a thousand more interpretations just like this 
one. They are all the same. You cannot say it means 
just one thing. You can have anything you want." 

15. When an opportunity is given the Jews to ask ques- 



134 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

tions, you must be prepared to hear almost anything. It 
would not be so hard if there was just one who would ask 
a question, but the hands of all generally go up at the same 
time. Everybody has the most important question, every 
one has the most learned question. It was a Babylon. 
The man who conducted the service to which I have 
alluded, did not have very good control of the Jews, and it 
made the work of laboring for them much more difficult. 
The Lord always stood by us, and helped in answering the 
questions. 

1 6. Being so young in the work, I greatly felt my in- 
ability. Frequently we had present at the services rabbis, 
teachers, and cantors, (a) These classes would generally 
conspire against us. To illustrate the questions we would 
be asked, I will here mention one question. 

"Mr. Missionary, you believe the T'nach, the Bible?" 

"Yes." 

" Here is a question for you. You said that Jesus was 
the Son of man, didn't you?" 

" Yes. But I said also that He is the Son of God." 

" Never mind about that. But you said He is the Son of 
man ?" 

" Yes, but I said too He is the Son of God just as much 
as He is the Son of man. You must remember that both 
are what I said." 

" But did n't you say that Jesus is the Son of man ?" 

"Yes." 

" Now, didn't you say, too, that only in Jesus can we 
have salvation ? 

"Yes." 



BEGINNING TO LABOR FOR MY JEWISH BRETHREN I 35 

"Now you say you believe the Bible?" 

"Yes." 

" Now I will show you from the Bible itself that you do 
not believe, from what you yourself have admitted. Here 
is the text. It says in Psalms, one hundred forty-six, and 
fourth verse, * Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son 
of man in whom there is no salvation.' You said that 
Jesus is the Son of man, and in Jesus only is there salva- 
tion. Now the T'nack, the Bible, says there is no salva- 
tion in the son of man. What do you do with that ?" 

17. Immediately the entire audience clapped their 
hands, and everybody was in glee. Ah, beloved reader, 
could you be in such a place at a time like that, you would 
the better understand what the Saviour endured when He 
was here on earth, and what the apostles had to meet with 
in their work. 

18. I then asked him if he believed the Bible ; if so, I 
would answer his question from the word of God. Every- 
body listened, for the Jews will as soon clap for one side 
as for the other. I felt then, as I have felt in every serv- 
ice, that there were honest souls present who were hun- 
gry for the light, and, for the sake of these honest ones, 
we must put up with this irritation and aggravation. 

19. I called his attention to Jeremiah 23 : I said to 
him, " Now you will remember that I said in my address 
to-day that Jesus was the Son of man, and he was also the 
Son of God. It was because He was the one that He was 
the other. The reason why I said that He only 
could save the people, was because the Son of God as well 
as the Son of man was centered in Him. Now let us hear 



I36 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY" 

what the word of God says. ' Behold, the days come, saith 
the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch.' 
Who was this Branch? Was He the Son of man? He 
must be, because he came from David, and David was a 
man. 'And a king shall reign and prosper.' Then this 
man who was to come from David was to be a King. ' In 
His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely.' 
Then this Branch of David, this Son of man, when He did 
come would save Judah and Israel. He was to bring sal- 
vation to Judah and Israel. Then there would be a Son 
of man who was to bring salvation — 'And this is His 
name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR 
RIGHTEOUSNESS,'— here you have it. Here is the 
Son of man who is also the Son of God, and His name is 
Y-HO-VATS-ID-KAA-NOO. All this was fulfilled in 
Jesus. Jesus is the Son of man, and He also is the Son 
of God. Therefore He, and He alone, can give salvation." 

20. The audience saw the force of the reply, and the 
man asked no more questions that day. This is but a 
sample question, similar to what we expected to hear every 
time we had a service. I used to remark to the leader that 
to teach the Bible in such a way did not accomplish much 
good. After laboring hard for nearly an hour in teaching 
the word of God, so much discussion arose that nearly all 
the good influence of the teaching was lost by these argu- 
ments. 

21. At times the Jews would become so angry as to 
commit violence, and at different times my life was endan- 
gered. One day, at the close of the service, I knew there 
were some of the Jews following me with the purpose of 



BEGINNING TO LABOR FOR MY JEWISH BRETHREN 1 37 

doing me bodily injury. So I walked between two elderly 
ladies, thinking perhaps they might desist from their evil 
course. I had not gone far when suddenly a bottle came 
whizzing toward me, and hit me on the left side of the 
head, almost stunning me. There was a stone in the bot- 
tle, and it came with great force. I should have dropped to 
the ground but for one of these mothers in Israel at my 
side, who saved me from falling. I nearly fainted. I was 
indeed grateful to God that my life was spared, and I man- 
aged to get to the house. 

22. When I reached my room, my heart was drawn out 
after the young man who threw the missile, and after all 
those poor Jews. How I plead with God to open their 
blind eyes, for the more they persecuted me, the more I 
felt to pity them. I had the same feelings once, and I 
could appreciate their situation. I longed to bring to 
them the light of this blessed gospel, for I knew that it 
would do for them what it had done for my soul. For 
nearly a week after this, I was hardly able to open my 
mouth wide enough to allow a cracker to enter it. I loved 
the young man, however. 

23. At another time, as I was leaving the church, a 
New Testament came flying at my head, and hit me with 
such force that the book broke, and the leaves dropped to 
the floor. I thought it was a blessed thing to get the 
Word with such force, and I felt that if that young man 
got it as hard in his heart as he threw it at my face, some- 
thing would certainly strike his soul. There was hardly 
a week passed but that something came in the way of op- 
position. It seemed as though little could be accomplished. 



I38 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

24. After studying the situation, I concluded that there 
would have to be a different method pursued with the 
Jews, in order to influence them with the gospel. I con- 
nected with this work after it was under way, and I con- 
cluded that the best methods were not used to help the 
Jews. The gospel should soften them rather than harden 
them ; that is, some of them ought to be changed by the 
preaching. The trouble was that there was another man 
preaching in this same place besides me. He had certain 
views of the Bible, and I had other views. The Jews soon 
recognized this, as they discerned it in our preaching. The 
leader of the meeting being a Gentile, he did not under- 
stand Yiddish, and so he could not understand what was 
being taught. The other man would talk to them about 
Jesus' rising from the dead on the first day, how much of 
the Old Testament was done away with and changed. I 
sought to impress them that the fact that Jesus rose on 
the first day of the week had nothing to do with changing 
the word of God. The Lord Jesus simply came to live 
out in His life what Moses and the prophets declared con- 
cerning the Messiah. Naturally, the Jews did not have 
respect for the work of God, in view of such conditions, 
and this had the tendency to harden them. 

25. I felt that I should have to change this manner of 
working, and teach the truth of God on proper lines. It is 
impossible to do successful work while mixing the pure 
truths of God with error. So after about two years' work 
with this mission, I left the Jewish work for a time, and en- 
tered evangelistic work among the Gentiles. While the 
work went hard, while there was bitter opposition, still I 



BEGINNING TO LABOR FOR MY JEWISH BRETHREN I 39 

had received a taste of the work, and was better ac- 
quainted with it than I had been before. I had the pleas- 
ure of seeing one man baptized, and there were several 
other believers who had not been baptized. 

26. I sought also to reach the higher class of Jews, the 
so-called liberal, or reformed, and I found they were much 
harder to meet than the orthodox (b) About this time, 
shortly before I left the work for the evangelistic field, 
there was a great deal of persecution among the Jews in 
different parts of the country on account of the Sunday 
closing crusade which raged at that time. 

27. In Montana, a Jew who refused to close his store oh 
Sunday, was arrested. Not having money enough to pay 
his fine, he was sent to jail. He was commanded to work 
on the Sabbath, Saturday, as all other prisoners worked. 
He refused. He was persecuted bitterly while in jail, 
which was an outrage against the rights of conscience. 
There was also a bitter contest raging in Boston, and it 
seemed as though it was a good opportunity to present the 
gospel to the liberal Jews as well as to the orthodox Jews. 

28. The Jews said that America was not much better 
than Russia ; the time would come when America would 
eventually take the last step in persecution as surely 
as it had taken the first step. This persecution did 
much to hurt the work. So one day while visiting the 
Massachusetts Legislature, to appear at a hearing con- 
cerning the running of Sunday trains, I met a num- 
ber of men who seemed to be the leaders in the movement 
in compelling the Jews to close their shops on Sunday, 
even though they observed the Sabbath of the Lord. 



I40 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

29. Among them were Christian ministers, and all were 
considered good, Christian men. Being acquainted with 
several, I laid the case before them, hoping that they 
might see that the work of preaching the gospel to the 
Jews was being hindered by compelling the Hebrews to 
close their stores on Sunday, after they observed the Sab- 
bath of the Lord as they believed they should keep it. It 
being a free country, as long as a man conducted himself 
as a good and respectable citizen, he was amenable to God 
alone for his religious views. I explained to them that the 
Jew said there is no liberty in American Christianity, for it 
compels him to lose one-seventh of his time, compels him 
to observe two days in the week, and enforces on him a 
religion in which he does not believe. These men appre- 
ciated the situation, and finally asked me what I could offer 
as a solution to the problem. I told them there was a 
solution which would help the Christians as well as the 
Jews, as it would do for religion what should be done, it 
should stand on its own merit. I said, 

"The only thing that should be done is to wipe out 
every Sunday law which exists on the statute-books of 
Massachusetts, and let every person, before God, act as 
he thinks right concerning the observance of the Sabbath." 

One of the ministers turned to me, and closing his right 
fist brought it down with great force on his left hand, and 
remarked, 

"I don't care for Jefferson, I don't care for Washing- 
ton, I don't care for the Jews, I don't care for anybody. 
This is a Christian nation, and we are going to have Sunday 
laws, it does not make any difference whom it hurts." 



BEGINNING TO LABOR FOR MY JEWISH BRETHREN 141 

30. I felt then that the poor Jew could not look for much 
help or have much hope from that kind of Christianity. If 
the Jew ever should get his eyes enlightened with the gos- 
pel of Jesus, it would have to be with a different kind of 
Christianity from that. I felt pained and heartsick, as it 
seemed to me this was going to hurt the work. I had not 
learned then, so fully as I should have known, that God is 
able to work out His own plans, and to do His own will. 

31. In consultation with a dear, Christian brother minis- 
ter, the late Pastor G. B. Wheeler, I decided to write a 
tract entitled, "Hebrews, and the Rights of Con- 
science," and scatter it broadcast among the Jews. I in- 
tended to show what the Bible said concerning this coun- 
try, that it was a subject of prophecy, that the government 
was rapidly changing its principles of civil and religious 
liberty, and the time would come, as outlined in the book 
of Revelation, that this country would persecute those who 
worshiped God according to the dictates of their own con- 
science. I felt that I must appeal to the Jews in view of 
what they saw coming, to accept Christ, the Messiah, as 
their only hope. The Lord blessed me in preparing the 
matter, and soon it was ready for the press. But there 
was no money with which to print the tracts, and if the 
Jews ever read them, they would have to be furnished 
without charge. 

32; So Pastor Wheeler went with me into the Boston 
church the next Sabbath, and in about twenty minutes 
sufficient funds were raised to print one thousand copies of 
this tract. I felt very thankful that a fund had been 
raised to pay for these tracts, and I saw there were some 



142 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

persons who certainly were interested in the Jews. I had 
wondered whether there were many of the Gentile Chris- 
tians who really were interested in the Jews, and this was 
a great encouragement to me. 

33. We sent these tracts to some of the most prominent 
rabbis, doctors, lawyers, judges, and business men of Bos- 
ton and vicinity, and to the same class of people in differ- 
ent parts of the country. We also sent them to the lead- 
ing Hebrew journals of the land. One of the most promi- 
nent Hebrew papers wrote a long editorial on the tract. 
After commenting very favorably on its merit from a relig- 
ious-liberty standpoint, the editor said that it was too bad 
that it was turned into a conversion tract, as though the 
Jews needed such a thing as conversion. It is evident that 
the editor had forgotten that David was a converted mar, 
and King Saul was once given a change of heart. Psalms 
5 1 ; I Samuel 9. 

34. I was becoming acquainted with some of the promi- 
nent rabbis of Boston, and occasionally I visited them to 
talk over the gospel of Christianity. Through a mutual 
friend, I was introduced to one of the leading rabbis of the 
city, and nearly every Friday evening I called at his home, 
and spent several hours studying the New Testament about 
Jesus. Down in his soul, I believe he knew that Jesus 
was the Christ, but position and popularity had too strong 
a hold on him to let him yield to the Spirit. Occasionally 
I attended his synagogue, and I was surprised one Sab- 
bath morning to hear him read Isaiah 53, and say that the 
Christian people claim this chapter refers to Jesus as the 
Messiah. He did not deny it. 



BEGINNING TO LABOR FOR MY JEWISH BRETHREN 1 43 

35. While on a visit at his home, I met two Jewish 
ladies, beautiful characters indeed. I talked to them freely 
of my faith in Christ, and their hearts seemed much 
touched. One of them turned to me, and said : 

" Mr. Gilbert, I would give anything in the world if I 
had a faith such as you have. I recently lost a dear little 
child, and laid it away. Oh, it seemed hard to do so, as 
there was no comfort, no faith, no hope. If I only had a 
faith like yours, what comfort it would give me !" 

The rabbi saw that her heart was being impressed with 
the gospel, and he labored hard to destroy this good influ- 
ence. May God pity the poor man, and have mercy on 
his soul. 

36. At another time while visiting the rabbi's house, I 
met a number of Jewish people. Various topics were be- 
ing discussed, among them the subject of religious liberty. 
One of the persons present seemed intelligent upon the 
subject, and expressed his views very freely. To my sur- 
prise, I learned that he believed and favored the idea that 
this country had a right to compel conformity to its laws, 
even though they were oppressive. If the country com- 
manded that its citizens should desist from labor at any 
time other than the day they kept as sacred, they would 
have to do so. This was indeed astonishing to me. I ar- 
gued for the Jew from the standpoint of the Jew. It 
seemed a strange position in which I found myself. Here 
was I, an apostate Jew, supposed to be hateful to the Jews, 
arguing for the rights of the Jew ; and here was a Jew, con- 
sidered a good Jew, who was denying the rights of his own 
people. 



M4 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

37. I soon learned that the gentleman was a lawyer, and 
before we broke up that night, he asked me if I would de- 
bate the subject with him before the Young Men's He- 
brew Association of He turned to the rabbi and 

asked him what he thought of the proposition, and the 
rabbi answered favorably. I thought, what a blessed thing 
it would be if the truth of the word of God could be brought 
before these hundreds of Jewish young men. I called to 
see the lawyer several times to arrange for the discussion, 
but I learned from him that he was too busy, and could not 
devote the time to it. I concluded that the rabbi and the 
Hebrew people were not yet prepared to let an apostate 
occupy the platform of their association. But, thank God, 
opportunity was given to bring the truth to many of the 
parishioners of this rabbi. The leaven was planted, and 
God would take care of His word. 

38. While it was with sadness that I left the work for 
the Jews for a time, I thanked God for the privileges I had 
enjoyed. It made my heart long for them the more, and I 
thought that perhaps I had not yet received the prepara- 
tion I needed to carry on this, work. In God's own time I 
felt sure that He would bring it to pass. 



BEGINNING TO LABOR FOR MY JEWISH BRETHREN 1 45 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 

Paragraph 16 (a). — The cantor is the man in the synagogue correspond- 
ing to the minister referred to in Luke 4 : 20. 

Par. 26 (a). — The Jewish people are divided now into two branches, Or- 
thodox and Reformed. The Orthodox Jew is practically the Biblical, 
or Traditional Jew, the Jew who comes in line of succession from the 
Pharisees of the days of Christ. The Reformed Jew is the man who 
has cast aside the Bible as the word of God, has laid aside all hopes 
of a literal Messiah coming, and who regards the country in which he 
lives as his home and his hope. He is practically the Sadducee of 
ancient times. The Bible to him is a good book, and so there are other 
good books. With all his bitter opposition, and all his persecuting 
spirit, there is much more hope in working for the Orthodox Jew 
than for the Liberal, or Reformed, Jew. 

10 



CHAPTER XIII. 



TEN YEARS IN GENTILE EVANGELISTIC WORKT. 

1 . By the advice of my brethren, it was decided for me to 
engage in general evangelistic work among the Gentiles. 
Before doing this, I felt, like Gideon, that I must be sure 
the Lord had called me to this phase of the work, and so I 
asked Him for two signs/ He gave them to me in so 
clear a manner that I could not doubt that He had called 
me. This gave me much courage, and I felt clear to start 
the work of preaching to the Gentiles with the conscious- 
ness that God would be with me. Still my heart's desire 
all the time was for my Jewish brethren, and in every city 
or town where I went, I would do what I could to give to 
them the bread of eternal life. 2 

2. God indeed blessed the labors among the Gentiles. 
He gave me some fruits by the way to lay at the feet of 
Jesus. Of course there were not the peculiar obstacles to 
meet in working among this kind of people that there were 
among the Jews. A minister who is truly devoted to God, 
will always find an abundance to do in winning souls to 
Christ. 

3. In the different cities where I worked, at times I 
found it rather difficult when laboring with the Catholic 
element. While in one of the cities in Western Massachu- 
setts, I found that fully two-thirds of the city was 

(14u) 'Judges 6 : 36-40. 2 Rom. 10 : 1. 



TEN YEARS IN GENTILE EVANGELISTIC WORK 1 47 

Catholic. The Lord, however, was moving on the hearts 
of the people to listen to the gospel ; and while at times an 
officer was required to keep order at the services, he fre- 
quently forgot his official capacity, and listened to the 
word of God with much interest. Thus the seed was be- 
ing sown in Gentile hearts. 

4. After a time, the conviction came to me that I should 

go to the city of B , Mass., and preach Christ. This 

was the city where I was converted. At first it seemed 
like a cross to go to this place, where I had spent several 
years before I had learned Christ ; but the Lord laid the 
burden on my heart to go and preach Christ to the people 
of that city. I earnestly plead with the Lord to make His 
will known whether it was my duty to go, and He made it 
clear to me that I should go. 

5. A singular incident happened the first day after we 
pitched our tent, which made it evident that God had 
called us to this place, The committee on public property 
had given my beloved fellow-laborer, the late Pastor M. D. 
Mattson, and me the privilege of erecting our gospel tent 
on the city park property. While we were in the midst of 
making our preparation, one of the aldermen came to us 
and wanted to know who we were and what we purposed 
to do. He was informed that we were there to preach the 
gospel, and were given the official right to. He was very 
indignant, and gave us distinctly to understand that we 
would not be allowed to remain there. We continued to 
make preparations for the services, and had already adver- 
tised when the meetings would begin. We believed God 
had called us to this place, and that He would take care of 



148 



JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 




PASTOR M. D. MATTSON. 



TEN YEARS IN GENTILE EVANGELISTIC WORK 1 49 

the results. The next morning, while going to the village, 
we noticed a decided activity on the part of the people in 
reference to the tent that was being erected on the com- 
mon. Soon word came to us that the city government had 
taken the matter in hand, and it gave room for apprehen- 
sion. It was apparent to us that the Lord had some souls 
in the city whom He wished to know His blessed gospel 
truth, and the devil was endeavoring to hinder the work. 

6. During this same afternoon, a young man came 
hurrying to the tent on a bicycle with a message that he 
must see the man in charge of the tent. On opening the 
letter, it was found that a real battle had been started be- 
tween factions of the city government concerning the gos- 
pel tent. This message was a notification to us, to the 
effect that we were to remain where we were and to watch 
developments. We did not exactly understand the situa- 
tion, but we concluded to stand still and see the salvation 
of the Lord. 3 

7. Hearing many rumors during the day that there was 
likely to be trouble if we remained, although we ought to 
stay because the Lord had precious souls in the place, we 
decided to open our meeting the evening we had advertised. 
We had an excellent attendance at the first service, and it 
certainly seemed that God would bless the work if we 
stayed there. At the close of the service, my fellow- 
laborer and I, with our wives, decided to earnestly seek 
God in prayer, that He would interpose to the glory of 
His own name. We had been praying but a few minutes, 

3 Ex. 14 : 13. 



I5O JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

when we heard footsteps at the tent door. There were 
evidently a number of persons there by the way the voices 
sounded. Still we continued to pray. The burden of our 
prayers was that God would mightily work for His own 
name's sake, and we might be allowed to remain there if it 
was His will. We felt the presence of God, and were sure 
that God would give us victory. 

8. As soon as we arose from our knees, there was a 
knock at the tent door. On opening it, we faced three 
men, the majority of the members of the committee on 
public property of the city. They had been listening to 
our cries as we sought the Lord, and the Holy Spirit had 
been moving upon their hearts. They had come to tell us 
the story of what had taken place among the city officials. 
It seemed that the authorities of the city were desirous of 
having us stay, while others were persistent that we should 
go. They came to say that as they were the persons 
who had charge of the public property of the city, we 
might remain there and preach the gospel. We were in- 
formed that in all probability, the marshal of the city 
would call upon us and notify us to leave the place. If we 
did not, he would doubtless arrest us. The committee said 
we should remain right there, and if we were arrested, they 
would assume the responsibility for all the consequences, if 
we would only stay and preach the gospel. 

9. As far as we could learn, none of these men were 
Christians, but it is evident they were instruments in God's 
hands, being used to carry out the will of the Lord. They 
manifested a remarkable interest in our work, and seemed 
anxious that it should continue. 



TEN YEARS IN GENTILE EVANGELISTIC WORK 1 5 1 

10. The papers of the city and vicinity then took up the 
matter, and day after day the journals reported the war go- 
ing on in the city government concerning the gospel tent 
on the common. The news of the war spread, and 
soon people from outside towns and cities came to hear 
what was taking place. There was no bloodshed, nor any 
serious outburst ; nevertheless God gave us many souls 
who came to hear the blessed gospel of His word. 

1 1 . This condition continued among the city officials for 
nearly a month, and the work at the tent increased night 
after night. The services at times were so crowded that 
every available seat was taken, and large numbers were 
obliged to stand. God was blessing the efforts put forth 
to His glory. As a result of the work in that community 
a good congregation was led to take their stand for Christ 
and His truth, and a church was organized. 

12. The officials of the city who were opposed to our 
remaining, never ceased their activities in devising some 
plans to have us removed ; but God in His providence so 
ordered things that we were allowed to stay for a number 
of weeks. We were finally notified by the friends of our 
work that we should have to leave, as the solicitor of the 
city had discovered that we were not citizens of the town. 
Therefore we had no right to remain on public property 
and make it our home. It seemed there was sufficient 
ground from a technical standpoint so that we should have 
to go. 

13. It now appeared that Satan was to gain the victory. 
We were right in the height of our interest. The audiences 
were increasing nightly, and the blessing of God was con- 



152 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

stantly attending the efforts in giving us souls whose inter- 
est was growing, and our work was not done. We had 
not yet reached that testing time where souls would have 
to decide whether they would take their stand for the 
Lord's cause. To leave the work now would indeed be 
perilous. We did not know what to do. If it were the 
enemies of the work who were ordering us off the prem- 
ises, it would not seem so hard. We could feel that per- 
haps the Lord would give us still greater victory, and we 
might yet continue ; but the warning came to us from 
those friends who had enlisted themselves in behalf of our 
cause. Still we felt that the work was not yet done, and 
that in some way the Lord would work for us, and would 
give us a greater victory. We decided to find another lo- 
cation for our tent, if we could ; but our search was fruit- 
less. 

14. We finally decided to interview the chairman of the 
committee, who was friendly, and ascertain personally all 
we could about the matter. He laid the case before us 
very clearly, and gave us his reasons, which seemed very 
clear and convincing. However, he finally suggested that 
we should remove our living tents and take this obstacle 
out of the way. He said, 

" If you could pack up your goods and remove your living 
tents, we will still beat them, and we think we will yet get 
you the opportunity to remain. Gather up your things, 
ship them away; then come before the committee and 
state your case. We think that you can remain some time 
longer." We went away feeling in our hearts that the 
Lord would yet work for His blessed cause. 



TEN YEARS IN GENTILE EVANGELISTIC WORK 1 53 

15. We told the audience that evening what had hap- 
pened, and a unanimous sentiment was expressed that we 
should remain if it were possible. We sought the Lord 
earnestly, and presented ourselves to the committee that 
evening to tell them what had been done. They gave us 
a very respectful hearing ; and when we were through, they 
told us to come the next morning to the city clerk and 
receive their decision. We had the witness in our hearts 
that we should receive a favorable reply. 

16. On calling to see the city official the next morning, 
we were informed that the committee had decided to grant 
us leave to remain four weeks longer. The blessed God 
thus reversed the decision of both friends and foes. 4 It is 
truly wonderful what the living God can, and does, do, if 
•we place our trust in Him. 

1 7. I found during the ten years of ministry among the 
Gentiles that the blessed Christ indeed helped me in the 
work. I had many rich and precious experiences in the 
gospel ministry ; many eyes were opened from darkness to 
light ; many prisoners were released from the prison-house 
of sin and made free in Christ. At the same time, the 
Lord was using these experiences to prepare me for the 
larger work I had on my heart to bring the blessed news 
of salvation to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 

18. However, I used every opportunity in these years 
to enlighten my Jewish brethren ; but I longed for the day 
to come when I could give my exclusive time to them. It 
was during these years, too, that I had a great desire to go 

4 Dan. 3 : 28 ; G : 2(5, 27. 



154 



JUDAISM TO CHRISTIAINTY 



home to my people in England, and once more to see my 
dear mother and my other relatives. I longed to be able 
to bear personal testimony to them of what the grace of 
Christ could do, and had done, for me, a Jew ; and I hoped 
that the Lord would enable me sometime to enjoy this 
privilege. Of this I shall speak further. 




HOLDING SERVICES IN A GOSPEL TENT. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



RECONCILIATION WITH MYMOTHER AND FAMILY. 

1 . In chapter eleven mention was made of a promise the 
Lord gave me that if I would remain in school and receive 
the needed preparation for the work, he would take care of 
my mother and of my sister's children who were left 
orphans, and that the time would come when I should be 
privileged to see my mother face to face. Through a 
kind providence, this time was now at hand. The Lord 
never promises a soul to disappoint him. 1 

2. While my mind was very much exercised in regard to 
going home, and while I felt that the Lord would provide 
the way and the means that I might go, the financial out- 
look was not the brightest. Still I knew that if the Lord 
wished me to go, the way would be opened, inasmuch as 
He had done great things for me during my years of trust- 
ing Him. While I had not sufficient funds for the return 
voyage, I felt that I would lay my plans to go. 

3. The day was set, and word was sent to my people that 
I was coming home. It was a great experience to me. 
How many things passed through my mind as I contem- 
plated what might happen. I thought of my mother, what 
she would say, how bad she would feel to think that I had 
done such an awful thing. I thought of my brothers and 
my sister. Would they receive me ? Would they even 

(155) 
1 Jer. 17:7. 



I56 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

look upon me ? Would they open their doors to me and 
let me in ? Would they not immediately spit upon me and 
curse me ? How many things were crowding my thoughts 
as I contemplated taking the trip home. Still I felt that I 
was going home to see mother. It seemed to me that, 
after all, my mother could not despise me and cast me 
away from her. I knew that she was still my mother, and 
I was her baby boy. 

4. I thought of the many hours by day and the vigils by 
night she had watched over me. I thought of all the kind- 
nesses and tendernesses of my childhood days. I thought 
of all the trouble and sorrow I had caused her by illness 
and other conditions. I thought of all she had done, and 
hoped that some time I might be a comfort to her. Could 
it seem possible that now, when the dear Lord had done so 
much for me, when the blessed Saviour had restored to me 
the joy of His salvation and had made something of a man 
of me, and had clothed me by giving me a right mind, — 
that now mother would cast me off and say I was not her 
child ? I could not bear the thought. I said, 

" Come what may, I will go home and see mother. Let 
her decide what the gospel has done for her boy, and if 
she will reject me, I will be consoled." 

5. The night before my departure from my field of 
labor, we were to have a farewell prayer-meeting at the 
home of one of the friends who had been brought to Christ 
through our labors. Many interested friends had gath- 
ered, and we had a pleasant time indeed. It seemed hard 
to leave them ; but we knew that God was able to 
take care of His work, and of His own flock. It was a 



RECONCILIATION WITH MY MOTHER AND FAMILY I 57 

blessed and precious season ; the Lord worked for His peo- 
ple that night; the Holy Spirit was present in a large 
measure ; and we all felt that God was approving of the 
course pursued. 

6. At the close of the service, a great surprise awaited 
me. After a few remarks by one of those present, a sum 
of money was handed to me with the statement that it was 
money intended to bring me back from England, but not 
to take me to London. This was not only a surprise, in- 
deed a pleasant and agreeable one, but a direct answer to 
prayer. In making preparations for my journey, I fourd I 
lacked fifty dollars, and I was presented with just this 
amount. Here was another illustration of how the Lord 
supplied every need, and at this time raised up friends to 
help where help was surely needed. It was an added 
token to me that the Lord was well pleased with the idea 
of my going, and He would bless the journey and the visit 
to His glory. 

7. A very pleasant trip was enjoyed on the way, -and 
the Lord gave me opportunities on. the ship of talking of 
Christ and His blessed truth to the passengers. But the 
one thought uppermost in my mind was to see my mother. 
I had a longing desire once more to look upon her face. 
The days seemed weeks, and the hours seemed days ; the 
minutes were so long. Would the time ever come! 

8. Reaching Southampton late at night, I went directly 
to London, so that I might .reach home early the next, 
morning. The first opportunity I had, I went directly .to 
the house, and what a heart palpitation I had. as I stood, at 
the door waiting for mother to let .me in. I waited. a 



I58 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

minute or two, and there was no response. I found that 
she was out. What a disappointment ! After calling the 
third time, I knocked at the door and heard footsteps. 
How natural they sounded ! How well I remembered 
them! They seemed just like mother's steps when I was 
a boy ! I felt that she would receive me kindly, and 
would still call me her boy. The door opened, and I stood 
there face to face with that dear and loving, blessed mother. 
What should I hear ? What would she say ? What should 
I say ? 

"My boy, my boy!" 

" Yes, mother, mother, it is your own boy that has come 
to see you." 

What a meeting that was ! a meeting never to be for- 
gotten. How kindly, lovingly, tenderly, and affectionately, 
she embraced me as her own boy, her own child. The 
many years of absence, the changed condition in my 
health, the growth of the boy to a man, had wrought such 
a marvelous change that she could hardly believe I was 
the same boy. She said I was her boy, and she was glad 
to see me. 

9. The next eleven days were pleasant ones indeed; it 
seemed so good to see her. Although mother was nearly 
seventy-five years old, had passed through much trial and 
many troubles, had labored hard in bringing up a large 
family, had not known many of the joys and comforts of 
life, her eye was not dimmed and her hair was not gray. 
She had never used a pair of spectacles, and was very 
healthy and vigorous. 

10. Among the early questions she raised. was this-: 



RECONCILIATION WITH MY MOTHER AND FAMILY I $n 

" Why did you do it, my boy ? Why did you give up 
the faith your father had, and accept another religion ? 
Whatever made you do such a thing? " 

What a question, and what an opportunity the Lord 
gave me ! As I answered the questions and told her my 
reasons, she was amazed. She could hardly believe what 
she heard. It seemed impossible to her that I was speak- 
ing the truth, yet she could not doubt my words. My 
health was a living testimony that what I told her was 
really so. I told her among other things that my chief 
reason for believing in Jesus as the Messiah, was because I 
had been taught early in life to accept the T'nach, the 
Old Testament, as the inspired word of God. From earli- 
est recollection I had it drilled into me that the words of 
the Bible were the words of the living God. Inasmuch as 
I believed these things to be so, I could not help believing 
Jesus was the Messiah. 

" But," said she, "what has that name [for she would 
not mention the word Jesus] to do with our holy religion ? 
What has he to do with Moses and the prophets ? What 
has that religion to do with our holy religion which God 
gave to us Jews ?" 

I certainly could appreciate her position, although it 
was a difficult thing to make it plain to her. (a) 

II. I took the Bible, especially the Old Testament, and 
sought to explain to her from the oracles of God how the 
Saviour was prophesied all through the writings of the sa- 
cred teachers of God's word. I traced the Bible through, 
and showed to her from these writings how the Messiah 
was to come; (b) where, when, and how He was to be 



I (DO JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

born, and called her attention to His birth, life, death, and 
resurrection. It seemed impossible to her that such things 
should really be so. True, it was in our own Hebrew 
Bible, and it was true that I read it to her. 

"But," said she, " why did not your father believe ? Was 
he not a good man, and did he not follow the holy religion ? 
Did he not go to shool [synagogue] every day ? Was he 
not very pious ? Did he not follow the sacred customs the 
rabbis laid down, and was he not a good Jew?' 5 

12. I gave her many Biblical illustrations, showing to 
her why I could not follow parents or customs, if their 
teachings were not in harmony with the word of God. I 
told her that I could not follow my father if I was to be a 
true Jew and a believer in the God of Abraham. This 
seemed a great surprise to her, and she thought either one 
or the other of us must be confused. 

13. She, not knowing anything of the Jewish religion 
for herself, only as it had been taught her by others, felt 
that she was unable to take any position that might in any 
wise convince me, for I knew what I was reading. I fi- 
nally told her the story of the call of Abraham, how God 
told him to leave his parents and all his friends, and to fol- 
low the Lord wherever He led him. 

" Now," I said, " If I am to be a child of Abraham, and 
to believe in the God of Abraham, I must do as Abraham 
did. When God spoke to him, Abraham followed ; when 
God spoke to my heart, I felt that I must follow also." 2 

14. The hours and days were very precious as we talked 

2 Gen. 12 : 1-3. 



RECONCILIATION WITH MY MOTHER AND FAMILY l6l 

together about my faith in the Messiah, and what He had 
done for my soul. As I related to her how the Lord had 
filled me with the joys of His salvation, her heart was in- 
deed touched, and she felt that in spite of what she had 
heard, there must have been a strong power at work to 
make such a transformation. 

15. What seemed strange to her was that I should be 
the one to accept this religion, since of all the family, I had 
been the most bitter opposer of the Christian religion. 
She said, 

" I should not have been so surprised if any of the others 
of the family had done such a thing. It would have been 
bad enough, surely ; but that you, who so bitterly opposed 
these people, should believe this and go in this way, is cer- 
tainly a great surprise to me." 

16. She seemed surprised to know that I was so inter- 
ested in the work of spreading this knowledge to others, 
and she especially said it was something she could not 
understand. She would raise many of the questions asked 
by many of the orthodox Jews against the Christian 
religion, and the Lord helped me to answer them to her 
satisfaction. She wondered, however, if this was really so, 
why had not father found it out, why had not the other 
Jews found it out, and why did not all the Jews believe 
this. 

17. I then told her, "Mother, I have not changed my 
religion. I am a Jew. I was born a Jew, and I expect to 
remain a Jew. 3 I was born a Jew according to the rabbis, 



3 Acts 22 1-3. 
11 



1 62 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

now I am a Jew according to the Bible. I am a Biblical 
Jew, and such I expect, by the grace of God, ever to re- 
main. I love the Sabbath of the Lord ; I love the blessed 
Bible more than ever ; and the hope of the Messiah is 
more precious to me now than it ever was. Since I have 
known the truth concerning Him, it has made such a 
change in my whole life that the Jewish religion is worth 
more to me now than it has ever been."(r) 

1 8. This of course cheered and encouraged her, and the 
tears came to her eyes more than once during our 
many hours of interesting conversation. She was so glad, 
after all, to know that I still believed in the law of God, 
and in the precious truths which God gave to our fathers. 
The one thing that seemed strange to her, was that Jesus 
should be part of their religion. Having been told from 
early infancy that this Jesus came and taught that the Jew- 
ish religion was useless, that it was all done away, it seemed 
strange and puzzling to her to hear me say that I was a 
Christian, but that I still believed in the Old Testament, 
and in the teachings of the prophets. 

19. She put this question to me, "When you accepted 
this religion, did they brand you with a cross on your 
arm ? " 

I said to her, "Mother, all such things are foolishness. 
Indeed they did not, and they do no such thing." 

This seemed a great surprise to her ; for in Russia the 
Jews believe that when a person accepts Christ, the be- 
liever has to pass through a process of tattooing and has 
to be branded in many places. Such things have been 
done by the Greek Catholics against the Jews in Russia, 



RECONCILIATION WITH MY MOTHER AND FAMILY 1 63 

and all such belief and teaching is Christian to the Jews.(^) 

20. From the way I presented to her the hope in the 
blessed Messiah, and from what she had heard about it in 
her younger days, she did not know what to think 
about the teaching ; the views seemed so opposite. Still I 
was her boy, and she knew I was telling her the truth. She 
had actually seen a great change which had occurred in 
me, and I really loved the Jewish people. The believers 
in Jesus from her point of view do not love the Jews, for in 
Russia, the Christians, so-called, hate the Jews bitterly. 

2 1 . After a long conversation one day about the Jewish 
religion, she made this remark : 

"If you say that you still are a Jew, and you yet believe 
as do the Jews, why are you not the kind of Jew you once 
were, and why will you not come back to be a Jew as you 
used to be ?" 

Knowing what she had said Christianity had done for 
me, I asked her, " Would you, mother, like me to be the 
boy I once was ? Would you like me to live as I once 
lived?" 

"But," said she, "why cannot you be a Jew as you used 
to be, and live as you live now?" 

I asked her, "Do you know of any Jew who lives as I 
do, and who is a Jew as I used to be, or as I would have 
to be if I returned to rabbinical Judaism ? You have lived 
a great many years in this world, and you have met and 
seen thousands of Jews. Do you know of any one who is 
as I am?" 

She finally answered "No." - 

I said, "Judaism does not make this class of people. It 



1 64 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

is impossible to be as I used to be, and to live the life that 
I am now living. Christianity, and Christianity only, 
makes the kind of people you have seen illustrated. I 
never could live as I do now if I returned to the fold of 
Judaism." 

22. After this, she seemed willing for me to continue to 
live as I was living, for she would rather that I should be 
as I was than to go back to Judaism, to live as I used to 
live and take with that life all that went with it. I felt 
that God had given me a great victory for the truth. 

23. She now was glad that I came home, and that she 
had learned so much. A great many things were cleared 
up in her mind. She had been told many stories about 
me which were untrue, and this was because I had ac- 
cepted the Christian religion, as she had been accustomed 
to believe it. She felt indeed that it was a pleasure for us 
to have so profitable a visit. 

24. Before I left, she remarked to me one day : 

" My seeing you, and having this visit, has lengthened 
my life at least ten years." 

She pronounced all the benedictions upon me that she 
could, and hoped that I might be greatly blessed: The 
reader will remember that some years before, when she 
heard of my becoming a Christian I was told by my brother 
that I had shortened her life ten years. Truly, the Lord 
restored to her all the years which she thought had been 
eaten up by my having become a believer in the blessed 
Messiah. Thus the Lord works for His own glory, and 
for the good of His most blessed cause. 

25. Several years later, on account of a breakdown in 



RECONCILIATION WITH MY MOTHER AND FAMILY 1 65 

» 

health, I went to London to visit my mother once more. 
She was quite feeble, and it seemed that she could not live 
much longer. I longed to see her again, if I might be per- 
mitted to do so, and to bear another testimony to the glory 
of God, to the saving power of His grace. My coming to her 
was not definitely known, so it was a great surprise. She 
was now past eighty, still her eye was not dimmed, nor her 
hair turned gray. She soon seemed to improve, and was 
able to get out-of-doors and to do her own housework as 
well as she did ten years previously. 

26. This second visit was a great blessing. I had no 
need of so much argument and discussion as at the first 
visit. This time I tried to make plain to her more of the 
blessed hope, and what it meant when the Messiah would 
come again, and the fulness of the blessed hope would be 
realized. Her heart seemed to be touched on several 
occasions, and she would say to me, 

" Well, my boy, you may be right. I do not know. I 
was brought up this way, in the way I am going. I have 
tried to live this life right, as best I know how, and I 
can only trust in God. I know the Lord wants the heart 
of the people, and I am sure He has mine. I am unable 
to read, and to know for myself whether these things are 
so. I do not wish you to change, but still I must go on 
in the way I am going. I cannot say about this Jesus, for 
you know how I have been brought up. But I am glad 
that God has done so much for you. I pray God every 
day that the Almighty will give you the grace and the 
strength to do the work I believe He has called you to 
do." 



1 66 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

27. This was indeed a blessed and precious testimony to 
hear from that dear, aged mother. Yes, I have no doubt 
but that she is doing the best she can, and I pray God to 
daily bless her, and in His own way to bring her to His 
blessed kingdom. It was indeed wonderful for a Jewish 
mother, with all the natural prejudices of an orthodox. Jew- 
ess, to bear such a testimony ; but I praise Qod He is still 
able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask 
or think. 4 

28. While my visit with her was so pleasant during the 
first trip, it was not so pleasant with the rest of -the fam- 
ily. I felt that I must see all of my relatives, and bear 
witness to what the Lord Jesus had done for my soul. I 
knew they were much prejudiced, but I daily prayed that 
God would help me to say the right things at the right 
time. The other members of the family treated me coldly, 
but still there was not that severe hatefulness which I 
feared. The Lord had certainly gone before me and pre- 
pared the way marvelously. 

29. We had not been together long, ere the subject of 
religion was discussed. The one great question was asked 
by all : " Why did you leave the religion of your fathers ? 
Why did you not continue in Judaism ? Why should you 
disgrace the family by apostatizing from the Jewish 
religion and accepting that religion which is so much hated 
by the Jews ? What motive did you have, and what in- 
ducements were offered you, to throw away the beautiful 
religion of the Jews and accept the Christian religion ?" 

4 Eph. 3 : 20, 21. 



RECONCILIATION WITH MY MOTHER AND FAMILY 1 67 

30. The Lord gave wonderful help in answering these, 
and many other questions, from the word of God ; and re- 
peatedly they were obliged to remain silent, and to ac- 
knowledge that if I followed the Bible I had good reasons 
to do as I did. Still they could not see how I could be so 
disassociated from my own Jewish people, and go among 
another class of religionists. 

3 1 . I endeavored, by the grace of God, to show them 
all the way of life and salvation as it was foretold by Moses 
and the prophets, and how these writings were fulfilled in 
the life and character of the blessed Lord Jesus. Grad- 
ually their prejudices gave way, and they came to be fully 
reconciled. They decided to drop the matter Of religion, 
and to talk of the relations of our home life. But we 
would scarcely drop the subject of religion, when some one 
would wish to know why I believed in a certain thing. 
In trying to answer the question, the blessed hope in Christ 
would at once come to the front, and then I would have 
a very interesting time telling them about the Lord Jesus. 
This continued for a long time, until one of my brothers 
said : 

" Well, you can believe as you do ; I will continue to be- 
lieve as I do. Perhaps you have a good reason to believe 
as you claim. I was born a Jew, and I expect to die a 
Jew." 

32. I felt sure that the Lord greatly blessed while I 
visited all my relatives, and I left the country feeling that 
it was a wonderful opportunity to bear my testimony to the 
family concerning the Lord Jesus. Not only did I meet 
my relatives, but I also met many of my friends of early 



1 68 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

days, and to them also was borne a testimony for the 
blessed hope in the Lord Jesus as the Saviour and 
Messiah. Many of my friends seemed astonished when I 
would tell them of my hope in Jesus. All of them remem- 
bered so well how bitter I was when a lad. Still many of 
them would give ear to what I had to say, especially when 
I showed them my faith in Christ from Moses and the 
prophets. This seemed to surprise them all, for I would 
clearly convince them from their own Bible that Jesus is 
the Messiah. 

33. I had a great desire while in London to visit the 
school where I spent so many years, when I was receiving 
my rabbinical and educational advantages. I wondered 
whether I should have the opportunity of speaking for 
Christ here, but I felt that I must go, and leave the results 
with the Lord. 

34. Word was sent to the principal, asking if a former 
pupil could visit the school, a pupil who had been to Amer- 
ica, and who was anxious to review his former days. I was 
ushered into the presence of the head master, who received 
me very kindly at first. After a few words of welcome, he 
inquired what line of business I was following. I informed 
him that I was in the ministry. This made him feel very 
happy, as it was a cause of much congratulation to have 
the students of the Jews' Free School follow the calling of 
the ministry. 

35. " Over what synagogue do you preside ?" he asked. 
I said, " Mr. A- , I am not a minister of a synagogue ; 

I am a minister of the gospel." 

"A minister of the gospel?" he asked again. 



RECONCILIATION WITH MY MOTHER AND FAMILY I 69 

I replied emphatically in the affirmative. 

" You, a Jew, educated in this school, and a minister of 
the gospel ? How could such a thing happen ?" 

It seemed as though he could hardly believe his own 
ears. I quietly said to him, " I was taught from my early 
days, while attending this school, to believe in Moses and 
the prophets. I was taught that these writings were the 
inspired words cf God to His people. It was because I 
remained true to my teaching that I became a minister of 
the gospel. I could not do otherwise and be true to the 
word of God. It was the teaching of Moses and the 
prophets that led me to become a minister of the gospel." 

36. The principal seemed dumfounded. He was a 
highly educated man, and it seemed so surprising to him 
that it took him some time to recover himself. I then gave 
him some of my reasons from the words of the Lord why I 
accepted Jesus as the Messiah, and why I wasled to preach 
Christ to men, especially to my own brethren. His at- 
titude toward me changed at once, and he seemed to have 
little use for my visit. Being a gentleman, he wished to 
keep his word, and he allowed me to visit the school ; other- 
wise, I fear I should not have been granted that privilege. 

37. We continued our conversation on the Bible. I 
asked him of his be?ief. To my surprise, I learned that he 
was a strong believer in Buddhism. He extolled the 
writings of Buddha, and repeatedly remarked how much 
light and truth there was in the writings of this heathen 
system. I certainly was surprised, but I soon learned that 
he was not the only educated Jew in England who believed 
that way. I learned that many of the teachers among the 



I70 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

Jews were being inoculated with that doctrine, and that 
now many of them had little regard for the sacred oracles 
which the Lord had committed unto the fathers. 

38. He still considered himself a good Jew, for a man 
that is born a Jew is always a Jew. It makes no difference 
what he believes or what he does not believe; as long as 
he does not accept Jesus and become a Christian, he is a Jew. 

39. Before I left the principal, he said to me : 

" Now while you are around visiting the teachers and 
students I do not wish you to advocate any of your teach- 
ings here. We will let you go through the school, but we 
do not wish to know anything of that sort of belief." 

I assured him that I would not do any proselyting in the 
school, but I desired to let him know that I thanked the 
Lord that the light of the blessed gospel of Jesus had 
reached my soul, and that Jesus had saved me from my 
sins. 

40. I felt very thankful to the Lord for permitting me 
to bear such testimony among my friends and relatives, and 
I was sure that the Holy Spirit was using the witness to 
His glory. I spent many hours with my nieces and 
nephews, and the hearts of some of them seemed to open 
to the words of the Lord. One, a young lady of some 
twenty years, seemed especially attentive, and her heart 
was hungry to know the truth of the Lord Jesus. One 
evening she said to me : 

" Uncle, I have read those prophecies in Isaiah and in 
Daniel a great many times, and I have often wondered 
what they meant. I could not get any person to explain 
them to me, and I often wished that I could know whom 



RECONCILIATION WITH MY MOTHER AND FAMILY 171 

they meant. How glad I should be if I could only know 
more about these things, and I do wish some day, Uncle, I 
could go to America, and learn about these things. Then 
I could be a help to you in the work." 

41. My heart cried unto God that the Holy Spirit might 
impress her young heart to see and to know the blessed 
Lord Jesus, for she was desirous of learning about the 
Bible, and about the truths of the gospel. We spent sev- 
eral precious seasons together ; and when we parted it was 
with the promise that as soon as possible, plans should be 
perfected for her to come to America, where she could 
have the privilege of learning about Jesus and His blessed 
truth. The rest of this part of the narrative will be read 
with sadness. 

42. The next spring the way opened for her to take leave 
of England and of loved ones, and come to this country. 
We had corresponded freely about the matter, and in every 
letter received, there seemed but one thought and but one 
purpose, — to learn more about the truth of the gospel, and 
to receive a fitting for the work that she might be a helper 
in the Master's cause. Not being a very rugged girl, she 
was recommended to visit a physician to determine if she 
was really strong enough to take the ocean trip. On be- 
ing assured by the doctor that she was equal to such a 
journey, she bade farewell to all her family and loved ones 
on July 14, 1908. 

43. Her coming was looked forward to with much pleas- 
ure. For many years I had hoped and prayed that God 
would give me some of my dear ones for Him, and it 
surely seemed that now my hope would in part be realized. 



172 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

The days were counted with the thought that they would 
soon pass, and we should have this dear one of the family 
with us to train for the Master. 

44. We were planning to meet her at the dock in Boston 
and give her a royal welcome. One day I was suddenly 
called to the telephone to hear the following message : 
"The Steamship Company has sent you a wireless to no- 
tify you that your niece, Rebecca Daniels, died out at sea, 
three hundred miles from Boston." The reader may well 
imagine the effect of such a message upon one under such 
circumstances. It did not seem as though it was possible. 
O death, how cruel, how dreadful ! Word also came that 
the ship's officers had decided to keep the body, and to 
bring it to port, and asked us to be there to receive it. 
How different from the meeting we had planned ! 

45. Before she left home the doctor had written very 
encouragingly, and was sure that she would be able to 
stand the strain of the voyage, and would be greatly bene- 
fited thereby. What could it mean ? How did it all hap- 
pen ? But she now was dead, sleeping, and could not tell. 
We went to the boat to meet her, as we originally planned, 
only to receive a casket with what was left of the dear 
girl. How hard it seemed to view this as for the best, but 
how thankful I was to God that there was sufficient grace 
in Christ Jesus, my Saviour, for just such a time as this. 

46. I made inquiries of the officials of the ship, and 
naturally every one said that all was done that could be 
done. Every care had been taken to help the girl after 
she first was taken ill, and every precaution was used to 
restore her to health if possible. I talked with the physi- 



RECONCILIATION WITH MY MOTHER AND FAMILY 1 73 

cian about the case, but somehow I did not receive a very 
satisfactory response. It did not help the situation now 
that she was gone ; but I received information later that if 
proper care had been given the girl, she might have been 
spared. 

47. She was brought to the little village of Lancaster, 
Mass., and there we laid her to rest. It is with the hope, 
however, that she may have so learned of Him who is the 
resurrection and the life, that when He shall raise all those 
who have fallen asleep in Christ, she may be ready to re- 
spond, and will come forth with the true seed of Abraham. 

48. How sad it made me feel that all the plans which 
were laid to educate her for the work of God had been in 
vain ; still it is blessed to know that our times are in His 
hands, and He doeth all things well, and all things work 
together for good to them that love the Lord, to them who 
are the called according to His purpose. 

49. During my second visit home, I was asked to deliver 
an address on the Passover and the return of our Lord, to 
the guests and the family at the Caterham Sanitarium, in 
Caterham, Surrey, England. I mentioned the matter to 
my eldest brother, a man of fifty-five, and asked him if he 
had ever been to that village. He said he had not, and, to 
my surprise, he asked me if I would be willing for him to 
attend that religious service. I had been praying that he 
would have a desire to go, but it seemed more than I 
could ask or think for him to volunteer to go. I knew 
the Holy Spirit was answering my prayers, and that the 
hearts of my people were being touched. 

50. I told him I should be glad to have him go. He 



174 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

seemed to be delighted at the thought. I do not know 
that he had ever attended a Christian service before. This 
seemed a wonderful thing, but I praised God for the good 
omens. Before we went to the meeting, I told him that I 
was to preach about Jesus, and was to illustrate in the 
Passover the truths of Jesus as the Messiah. 

5 i . Never having been in a Christian service before, it 
seemed a little strange to him. We all knelt in prayer, 
but he followed the Jewish custom of standing. As the 
reader is doubtless aware, the Jews never kneel in prayer. 
He turned his face to the west, kept his head covered, and 
remained in a standing position all through the prayer. 
The Jews always pray with their hats on. In fact there is 
hardly an hour in the day or night that they are without 
their hats. There are various reasons for this custom, one 
in particular is that the Christians go without their hats. 
The rabbis will not allow them to do anything that the 
Christians do, as to do so would be worshiping the Chris- 
tian's God. 

52. The Lord blessed the message, and my brother gave 
marked attention to the word of God. Everything I said 
with which he was familiar, he assented to, and he knew I 
was in nowise misrepresenting the truth of the oracles of 
God. After the service, as we were talking together, he 
said to me : 

" Well, I have made up my mind that I am going to 
personally investigate this thing. I do not want anybody's 
word for it, but I am going to know for myself whether 
these things are really so. Of course to hear you to-night 
it looks as though this was very plain, and as though there 



RECONCILIATION WITH MY MOTHER AND FAMILY I 75 

might be something in this religion ; and I have decided 
to find out for myself if there is anything in the Christian 
religion for the Jew." 

53. I replied: " That is just what you ought to do. 
You do not want to take anybody's word. You have the 
Bible, the word of God. The trouble is that our people 
have been so misguided by the rabbis that they suppose 
that all the Jews believe is in the word of God. The fact 
is, very little of what they believe to-day is in the Bible. 
Nearly all the Jewish belief is what the rabbis teach. The 
rabbis have fooled our people. I assure you that if with an 
honest heart you will come to the word of the Lord to find 
out the truth, the Holy Spirit will open your eyes and your 
heart, and you will see that Jesus is our own Messiah. Do 
you think that it is any pleasure to me, naturally, to be 
separated from my family because of my religious beliefs ? 
But this is the word of God. To me Jesus Christ is my all 
and in all. I believe, and I am sure from the word of God, 
that He is my salvation, and I must believe Him, or else I am 
lost. If you will only study the word of God for yourself, 
you will find out that Jesus is your blessed Messiah." 

54. If was indeed a pleasant hour we spent together, 
and I left him that night, after midnight, with the prayer in 
my heart that the Lord would open his eyes to see the 
truth of the blessed Christ, and that it would bring the joy 
to his soul that it had brought to mine. 

5 5 . The next day I visited another brother, and it was 
a surprise to me to hear him say that had he known I was 
going to deliver that lecture he would have been there also. 
He seemed interested to know that I could show Christ 



I76 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

in these oracles, though he himself did not have very much 
use for any of the religious rites of the Jews. I opened to 
his mind some of the truths of the words of God, and I saw 
that his prejudices, too, were breaking away. 

56. Before I left London, I felt that my visit had been 
in harmony with the will of the Lord. I felt in my soul 
that God had been pleased with what I had endeavored to 
accomplish in His name ; and I was assured that th o Holy 
Spirit would watch over the seed which had been sown, and 
some day we should see the results of these efforts. Since 
that time my relatives have been very friendly, and they 
certainly do not feel so hostile as formerly. Surely, the 
Lord God of Israel, the blessed and divine Christ, still 
lives ; and He is yet able to do glorious things for His be- 
lieving children. Praise be to His holy name ! 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 

Paragraph 10 (a). — To the ordinary orthodox Jew a person who gives 
up Judaism and accepts the Christian religion has really given up his 
religion and accepted another. It seems hard to make the Jews un- 
derstand that to believe in the gospel of the Messiah is to believe in 
the real and true Judaism. I here give part of a letter from a mother 
to a son, who wrote to her that he had accepted Christ. This is 
what she says : 

" For what reason have you done such a thing ? Is it because you* 
have been unsuccessful in your business and these missionaries have 
tempted you into their fold by promises of help ? Then I entreat you 
to be man enough to resist that temptation. You should prefer 
honorable poverty to inglorious riches. Toil on honestly, and your 
good Father in heaven will surely reward you and send you success 



RECONCILIATION WITH MY MOTHER AND FAMILY I J J 

even on this earth. But oh, be not so blind, so weak as to act the 
renegade, the deserter, and cast not away your soul, your life, your 
eternity, for temporary and material gain. 

" But perhaps you will say that, you have joined the missionaries 
out of conviction- in their creed; then I say that I do not 
believe it. To leave the grand, pure, simple faith of Judaism, those 
pure truths which were handed by God to Moses at Sinai, and which 
are destined to be the guiding principles of humanity till the end of 
time, to think that you have abandoned that creed for any other 
through conviction, is in truth beyond the comprehension of any 
sane and reasonable being." 

Par. 11 {b). — The word Christ always causes the orthodox Jew to be- 
come angry. There have been so many cruel things done in the name 
of Christ, that the son of Abraham has been taught to associate that 
holy name with all things cruel. At the same time the Jew loves to 
hear the word Messiah, and loves to talk about the Messiah. The 
reader should bear this in mind when dealing with the orthodox Jew, 
as it will be of much service to the person who is endeavoring to 
enlighten the Jew with the gospel. 

Par. 17 (c). — One of the sad things connected with the Christian religion 
is that the impression is so prevalent that to believe in the Saviour is 
to throw away the teachings of the Old Testament. This idea is com- 
mon among Christian people. But it is a grave mistake. The Saviour, 
the apostles, and all the teachers and believers in the early church, 
accepted the teachings of the Old Testament as the word of God, and 
they measured their lives according to the teachings of Moses and the 
prophets. In fact the Saviour and the apostles had only the teach- 
ings of the Old Testament to preach to the people ; and it was in those 
writings that people learned of the great salvation which is found in 
Jesus as the Messiah and Saviour. There is great need of a restora- 
tion to early gospel methods. Primitive religion is greatly in demand. 
This will mean much in giving the gospel to the Jews. 

Par. 19 (d). — Often during the persecutions of the Jews, the Russians 
will take either a young girl or a child, and brand them with sDtne 
mark, perhaps a cross or some other sign, and then tell either the 
child or the girl, or their relatives, that ever after they must be a 
Christian, as they have been branded with the sign of the cross. 
12 



CHAPTER XV. 



W.HEJRLO IS THE} I^OJRD QOD OF ELIJAH ? 

1. Although the Lord had done great things for 
Elijah the prophet, the successor of this great prophet of 
God wished to know why the Lord God of Israel would not 
do for him what He had done for his master. Elisha knew 
that there was no respect of persons with God, and that the 
Lord was able to do for him what he had done for Elijah, 
if he would trust the Lord as did his predecessor. 1 

2. The writer feels that it would be for the glory of 
God to relate in this chapter a few experiences from his 
own life, and from his observations in the work of God. 2 It 
has often occurred to him that the God and Father of Jesus, 
who did so much for the apostles and the people in 
the early days of the church, still lives to do similar great 
things for all those who will put their trust in him. 3 
Since it was for God's glory to bear witness to His mighty 
power in the days that are gone, it certainly will be to 
His glory now to bear testimony that the mighty God of 
Israel and the divine Son of God continue to have the same 
power to perform similar wonderful things. 4 

3. Mention has been made of several instances in the 
writer's life where the Lord wonderfully wrought for His 
servant. 5 From a consumptive he was raised to health and 
strength, so that friends and relatives confessed that none 

l l Kings 2: 14. 2 Ps. 63:16. 3 Mil. 3:6. 4 Acts 1 : 8. 5 Ex. ]5:26 
j yg Ps. 103 : 3. 



WHERE IS THE LORD GOD OF ELIJAH I 79 

but the Lord could have done the things which were 
actually performed. But the Lord had still greater things 
in store for His servant, and it was the privilege of the 
writer to witness some remarkable experiences of the heal- 
ing power of God, which he believes it will be only to the 
glory of God for him to relate, for the benefit of those 
whose confidence in God may be strengthened. 

Experience I. 

4. While I was attending school, being obliged to work 
hard to accomplish what I had set out to do, my eyes be- 
came badly affected. Shortly after I began to work in 
the cause of Christ, I was forced to wear glasses. The 
doctors said my eyes were in a bad condition, and they 
thought I should have to wear glasses for the rest of my 
life. After using these artificial eyes for one year, I was 
surprised to find that during this time I had lost a number 
of degrees of vision, and I had to resort to stronger lenses. 
I regretted this very much, and I felt that it was a great 
affliction which would hinder me in the work. 

5. After a time, I became impressed that I ought to 
pray to the Lord to restore my eyesight. While, doubtless, 
I was injudicious in my school-days in straining my eyes, I 
felt that I was only preparing for work in the cause of 
the Lord. The thought forced itself upon my mind to pray 
that the Lord would heal me of the loss of sight. I prayed 
for several weeks, but had no relief. One day while attend- 
ing a camp-meeting, one of the ministering brethren, who 
was badly afflicted on the camp-ground, asked if another 
brother and I would unite with him in prayer that the LorH. 
would completely restore him to health. It was indeed a 



l8o JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

privilege to engage in prayer for the sick, because the Lord 
has promised that the prayer of faith shall save the sick.* 
We were following strictly and literally the word of God, 
and one brother minister handed to me the bottle of oil, 
and asked if I would anoint the brother with the oil while 
we were praying for his restoration. As I took the bottle 
from his hand, and was about to remove the stopper, there 
came a sudden voice from heaven to me as clear as I could 
have wished to hear it, saying, 

" Why are you wearing your glasses ? " 

Without stopping to ask any question, I immediately said, 
" All right, Lord, I will take them off if you wish me, to." 

As soon as I said that, my glasses came off, and of a 
sudden the Holy Spirit filled the tent, and the writer 
was lifted almost bodily from the floor. My soul was filled 
with joy and peace, for the blessed and divine Christ had 
healed me of my physical infirmity. My sight was com- 
pletely restored. I took off those glasses, and I praise 
God that, from that day to this, they have never been on 
my face. Although more than a decade has gone by, there 
has never been an hour but that I have" had perfect sight. 
I have had no trouble whatever in continuing my work 
either by day of by night. Praise the Lord for such a 
wonderful Saviour. 

Experience II. 

6. After I had been in Christian work about six months, 
I was unexpectedly stricken down with typhoid fever. 
The doctor said that on account of the heavy mental strain 

I had been under for a number of months, my health had 

.;, .■■■ \, , = . : :. ' : > .-.,.:, . . . \ . <".-.'_. uHJ'j . . ' 

6 Jas. 5 : 14, 15. 



WHERE IS THE LORD GOD OF ELIJAH l8l 




THE LATE PASTOR G. B. WHEELER. 



1 82 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

broken down, and I now had a serious case of typhoid. I 
felt very sorry to think that after these years of preparation, 
I now should have to be laid aside for a time, and not be 
able to continue with my labor for the Lord Jesus. During 
the first night of my illness, the Lord came preciously near 
to me, and the experiences I enjoyed that night were very 
precious. I felt that if I could behold the beauties and the 
glories of the work of Christ every night as I did that 
night, I would be willing to be sick all my life. Though 
the fever raged and my head ached, it was a night long to 
be remembered. 

7. At the same time the Holy Spirit brought to my mind 
many of the exceeding great and precious promises of God, 
all of which gave the assurance to me that the Lord would 
heal me from this sickness. In the morning, I told Pastor 
G. B. Wheeler, with whom I was living, that the Lord 
Jesus had given me the assurance that He would restore 
me to health if I would follow out the directions given in 
His word. I had promised to attend a conference held in 
Michigan in the month of February, and this sickness oc- 
curred toward the close of December. If I went to that 
convention, the Lord surely would have to heal me. For 
several days the fever raged. It became intense. Al- 
though at times my head was covered with bags of ice, the 
fever was strong, and the pain so severe that I cried for 
cool applications to get relief. 

8. In the meanwhile, Brother Wheeler had telephoned 
to one of the ministering brethren, asking him to come and 
have a special season of prayer, that the Lord would give 
me back my health and strength. Several days passed be- 



WHERE IS THE LORD GOD OF ELIJAH 1 83 

fore he came, and although the doctor came to see me 
every day, he gave me very little encouragement, except 
that I should doubtless have a hard time with the fever, 
and should be confined to bed for many weeks while the 
fever was having its run. I never lost the assurance 
which the Lord had given me that He would heal me in 
answer to prayer. 

.9. Just four days after the doctor had pronounced the 
fever typhoid, on Friday morning, the two ministering 
brethren knelt together at my bedside, and asked God to 
heal me of this typhoid fever. In the midst of their 
prayers, a thrill went through my whole body, as though a 
current of electricity had passed through me, and I at once 
sat up in bed. I gave glory to God that I was healed. I 
felt in my body that the blessed Christ had healed me. 
Shortly after the prayer season was over, the doctor made 
his usual visit, and one of the first things he said to me 
was, "Well, you are feeling better this morning, aren't 
you ? 

I replied, " Yes, doctor, the Lord has healed me, and 
I am well." 

I still felt rather weak, as I had such a siege of the fever, 
but I assured him that I knew the Lord had fulfilled His 
promise. 

Before he left, he said to me ; " Now I will leave you 
some of this medicine, and you may take it, as it will help 
you." 

I said to him : " Doctor, you may leave the medicine if 
you wish, but I assure you that I will not take any. I am 
not at all fanatical, but I know that God has healed me, 



184 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

and I shall not need any of the medicine." He concluded 
to leave it, but the medicine was never touched. 

10. Within two days of the time of prayer, I was up 
and dressed, and within a week I was out-of-doors walking 
on the snowy ground, and was well and able to keep my 
engagement to attend conference in Michigan, as I had 
planned. Yes, blessed be God, the gospel of Jesus Christ 
is able to heal the body as well as to save the soul. The 
signs and wonders which were to go with the gospel in the 
early days of His ministry are still with the church; 7 and 
while it is true that materia medica has had its influence 
over the masses, and to a large extent even over those who 
are followers of the blessed Christ, the Lord Jesus still 
lives and rules to perform His wonderful works for all 
those who put their trust in Him. 

Experience III. 

1 1 . As I was getting ready to. engage more particularly 
in the work for my Jewish brethren, which will be told in 
the following chapters, I discovered that my little girl was 
sick. She was suffering a great deal, so that we finally 
called the physician to ascertain what was the real difficulty. 
Mrs. Gilbert and I were both surprised to hear the doctor 
say that the child had infantile paralysis ; and the physician 
added that it might be weeks, months, and perhaps years 
before she would get better, and she might never recover 
from this dread disease. This made my heart sad. I pon- 
dered much over the matter, sought the Lord about it, and 
finally said to my wife : 

7 Mark 16:17. 



WHERE IS THE LORD GOD OF ELIJAH 1 85 

" I believe the whole thing is of the devil. I believe he 
wishes to hinder us in the work of God, and so he has al- 
lowed this thing to come upon the child that we may be 
hindered in the work. I believe the Lord will heal that 
child, if we pray about it and follow the instruction given 
in the word of God." 

12. She agreed that we should call for the elders of the 
church, and pray in the name of the Lord for the restora- 
tion of the child. Two of the ministering brethren were 
called in, and we together poured out our hearts to the 
Lord that He would heal the child, so that we might con- 
tinue with the work He had given us to do. After the 
prayer was ended, I took the little one in my arms, and by 
every test I could apply I found she was perfectly well. 
For days, yes, for weeks, the child could not wear a shoe. 
The suffering and agony of the babe was pathetic. If she 
was placed in certain positions she would cry so loud and 
so continuously that it would almost break one's heart to 
hear her weeping. The ministering brethren had not been 
gone three minutes before she could be handled as well as any 
healthy child ; her shoes could be put on her feet as well 
as could any other child's, and she seemed perfectly well. 
To this day she is as well and rugged as any child need be ; 
and the blessed Lord gave us the precious victory once 
more. He thus proved to us again that the prayer of faith 
shall save the sick. Yes, the blessed Christ is a divine and 
a living Saviour. He is able to do all things according as 
He has promised. 

Experience IV. 

1 3. While I was living in the same family with Pastor 



1 86 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

G. B. Wheeler, the wife of the minister was stricken down 
with nervous prostration. In order to hear what she 
wished to say one was obliged to place his ear close to her 
mouth. She' was very low, and the doctor said that it 
would be a long time before she could even move from her 
bed. She was a noble soul, and one whose heart was 
filled with love for Jesus and for his cause. She not only 
was a devoted mother in her home, but was a true mother 
in Israel, and we workers all felt that she could not be 
spared. It was a serious case of nervous prostration, and 
it made the hearts of all sad to think that this light of the 
home should have to be confined to a bed of sickness. 
Before we separated for the morning's work, it was sug- 
gested that we all unite ki earnestly seeking the Lord that 
His mighty power might be made manifest, and that if it 
were His will, He would heal His handmaiden. We all 
believed that God would hear prayer, and He would work 
according to His glory. Several of the workers united in 
an earnest season of seeking God for restoration, and we 
had the assurance that the Lord Christ would bless His 
servant. Each went to his respective labor, and in half an 
hour I returned to the house, only to find Mrs. Wheeler up 
and dressed. The Spirit of the Lord had come, and had 
richly blessed our sister with health and strength. How 
our hearts rejoiced to see the mighty power of the Lord 
manifest, and we had another assurance that the blessed 
Jesus still lived, and that the Lord God of Elijah had the 
same power to work for His servants now as He had in the 
days of old. 

14. The same physician attended Mrs. Wheeler that 



WHERE IS THE LORD GOD OF ELIJAH 1 87 




MRS. M. A. WHEELER. 



1 88 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

attended the writer in his sickness, and he had come to 
the conclusion that there was not much need of his 
services among such a class of people. He would 
diagnose a case, and pronounce the disease ; he would ex- 
pect a serious and protracted illness, only to be surprised 
that the Lord God of Israel interposed by His mighty 
omnipotence. 

Experience V. 

15. Another Bible worker who lived in the same family 
was stricken with spinal meningitis, that awful disease 
which sweeps many to death with great rapidity. I had 
been out in the evening to fill an appointment, and when 
Mrs. Gilbert and I returned, we were surprised to see 
Dr. A. at the house, although it was now nearly midnight. 
Inquiring into the cause of his presence, I was told that 
Mrs. S. was down with this terrible affliction. The doctor 
said that she was very low, that the pains in her spine were 
drawing back her head, and if she had any more of these 
attacks she could not live till morning. He said it was a 
severe case, and he did not give much encouragement, All 
were very sad. He said that we must not leave her alone, 
as she might have an attack at any time, and the results 
might be disastrous. 

16. We felt that before we retired we must take the 
case to God. So all the workers knelt before the Lord 
and prayed the Lord Jesus to manifest His mighty power 
by stretching forth His hand to heal. 8 It was a holy season, 
and the Lord came very near to us. I offered to remain 

8 Acts 4 : 30. 



WHERE IS THE LORD GOD OF ELIJAH 1 89 

with the patient during the night, and as I went to her 
room she opened her eyes^ and with a mild and subdued 
voice, asked, 

" What is the matter ? I feel such a peace come over 
me. Something has happened." 

I said, " Yes, my sister, something has happened. We 
have been praying for you." 

Oh what a peace that night filled her soul. She soon 
dropped to sleep, and slept soundly all through the night. 
In a short time she was perfectly well, and to this day is a 
consecrated and devoted servant of Christ doing all in her 
power to win souls to Jesus. 

17. The physician came to the house early the next 
morning, expecting to hear that his patient was extremely 
low, if not actually dead. To his surprise and astonish- 
ment, he found her almost well, and was again told that the 
Lord Jesus had heard and answered prayer, and had re- 
stored the sick one to health. 

18. The doctor was much impressed with the pure 
religion of Jesus. He had been a professor and a church- 
member for some years. But he had never seen the 
religion of Jesus manifested on this wise. The Spirit of 
the Lord moved upon the heart of the physician and his 
wjfe to know more about the word of God and the true 
religion of Jesus. He felt that there must be something 
more to Bible religion than what he had known, and he de- 
sired to study the Bible, that he and his family might learn 
more about the pure and undiluted truth of the gospel. 
The family accepted all the light the Lord Jesus had for 
them, and for years the doctor was a noble and loyal sup- 



I90 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

porter of God's cause. He died in the faith of soon seeing 
the blessed Jesus, who was able to work so mightily for 
all those who put their trust in Him. The Lord God of 
Elijah still lives, and He needs witnesses everywhere to 
prove the truth of the gospel that He is able to heal the 
sick as well as to save the soul. 

Experience VI. 
19. I must give one more case, to show that there is 
nothing too hard even now for the Lord to do. The 
blessed Saviour is able yet to perform most mighty works 
for those whose hearts are perfect towards him. After 
closing a series of evangelistic servicer in a tent in the city 
of Salem, Mass., several of the friends greatly desired to 
assist in the breaking up of the camp. Among those who 
were helping us was one brother who had recently accepted 
the faith of Christ, and who had learned to love Jesus and His 
truth. This man had been rescued from the depths of sin, 
and the Lord Jesus had done great things for his soul. 
True, he was but a babe in Christ, but his heart was burn- 
ing with love for Jesus. He was devoting a great deal of 
his time to learning the will of the Lord, and he longed to 
do all he could that he might drink deeper draughts from 
salvation's wells. He spent considerable of his time dur- 
ing the summer in helping us at the tent, and he longed 
for the time to come that he might have the privilege of at- 
tending a camp-meeting where he might learn more of the 
word of the Lord. The day had arrived when we must, 
take down the tent to prepare for the camp-meeting which 
would be held in about ten days. Being a sailor and 
familiar with the handling of canvas and masts c Brother C 



WHERE IS THE LORD GOD OF ELIJAH 191 

wished to assist in the folding of tents, and the lowering of 
the large tent mast. The gospel tent was a fifty-foot, 
circular tent, and the mast was about thirty-eight feet long, 
and about ten inches through at the base of the pole. 
While he was lowering the mast, a spliced rope tied about 
a stake to assist in lowering the pole, gave way, the mast 
was out of control, and the rope became wound diagonally 
across his back. This rope so tightened about him that it 
drew him against the large stakes, breaking four ribs, each 
rib in two places ; and throwing him to the ground, the 
mast fell across both his legs. It was a miracle that the 
man was not instantly killed. He was bruised, torn, and 
lacerated. It so affected him that he became nearly insane 
before the physician arrived. He kept pacing to and fro. 
One of the skilled physicians of Salem, Mass., was immedi- 
ately called, and he told the brother that if he did not stop 
moving about, he might die at any minute, as the ribs, the 
way they were broken, might pierce his lungs. He was 
gotten under control while the physician gave him medical 
attention. He was thoroughly bandaged, but was a sad 
spectacle to look upon. His back was terribly bruised, 
and the ropes and the mast had torn clothing and flesh 
.from different parts of his body. 

20. After the doctor had done all he could to relieve 
him, he assisted him to his own carriage, and carefully 
drove the man about one and a half miles to his home. It 
was sad indeed to see this poor brother in such a terrible 
condition after he had interested himself so much in the 
work of God, and his heart was longing to go to the camp- 
meeting but a few days ahead. As the doctor was about 



192 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

1 

to take him home, I asked the physician his opinion of the 
brother's condition. He said : 

" If everything goes well, he may be able to get out in 
two months, but he may never get out of this alive. He 
has four ribs broken, and each rib is broken in two 
places. He is also injured generally." 

I felt sad and sorry for the poor man, and wished that 
something might be done to help him. It was evident that 
human skill had done all it could, and the regular course of 
things must now be followed. All that we could now do, 
was to leave the matter in the hands of God. After the 
brother reached his home, it was found that he was unable 
to lie down in his bed ; he had to be bolstered up. A strap 
device was arranged for him, so that by careful handling, 
he was able to move himself, by the aid of this strap, from 
one side of the bed to the other. Each time he moved, 
the action was accompanied with groans. 

21. Several days after he was confined to his bed, I 
called to see him, and it was then that I found him in the 
condition just described. He felt thankful to God that his 
life was spared, but he was sorry to think he could not go 
to the camp-meeting. It seemed sad that after he had 
waited a long time for the privilege of enjoying such a 
blessing as he would receive at the camp-meeting, he should 
now have to be denied the privilege. While we were 
visiting together, I did all I could to encourage him to 
trust in the Lord, and told him that all things worked to- 
gether for good to those that loved the Saviour. 9 But, 

'Rom. 8 : 28. 



WHERE IS THE LORD GOD OF ELIJAH 1 93 

somehow, I felt in my heart that the Lord would do a work 
for that man. He confessed all his sins to the Saviour, 
and he longed for a deeper experience in God. 

22. Before I left him, we had a season of prayer, and it 
was a blessed and precious season. The Holy Spirit came 
very near to us, and we felt sure that the presence and 
power of the Lord was in the room. We especially asked 
God to give the brother strength and health, and, if it 
would be for His glory, to completely heal him. I went 
away assured that God would do that which would be for 
His glory. 

23. Two or three hours later, as he was lying in bed, 
he seemed to hear a voice saying to him, 

" You are well, why do n't you get up ? " 

Heeding the call, he immediately threw the bed covers 
from him, and jumped from the bed. He tore the 
bandages from his body, and went to the door of the next 
room where his wife was. He called for his clothing, and 
put it on. He was a well man ; his bones seemed to be as 
strong as ever ; and he felt perfectly whole. It brought a 
shout of victory to his soul, and joy to his home.. This 
happened Thursday night, j ust four days after the accident 
occurred. 

24. The doctor came the next morning, as usual, to at- 
tend the patient, but the brother was around the house out- 
doors. 

" Where is the man ? " the doctor asked. 

He was then informed what had taken place. He was 

almost dazed. The physician was not a strong believer in 

the Lord, but here something had actually happened that 
13 



194 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

was inexplicable to him. He knew the man's ribs were 
broken, four of them, each one in two places, and he knew 
that by no law of nature could the man have so improved 
from the condition he was in on the previous morning when 
he called to see him,' as to get well so soon. He left 
the house puzzled and baffled, but admitted that the man 
was well. 

25. The brother went to church the next Sabbath, and 
related his experience before the members present. The 
Spirit of the Lord came near with great power. It was a 
wonderful meeting, and it resulted in the conversion of his 
mother, an old woman who had reached threescore and ten 
years, and who had never made any profession of the Chris- 
tian religion. The next day the brother rode his bicycle 
ten miles, and felt no ill effects from his trip. The man 
surely was healed. 

26. When the time came for the camp-meeting, 
the brother was in attendance. It strengthened his faith, 
and was a great blessing to many others to whom he told 
the story. While I personally knew the Lord had healed 
the man, I wished to have another physician examine him, 
so that there might be added evidence of the power of God 
to heal and to strengthen. I had the man present himself 
for examination to a skilled physician on the camp-ground. 
I myself saw how bruised and lacerated the man's body 
was just a few days before, but now his flesh was as fresh 
and clear as a child's. The doctor examined his ribs very 
carefully, and applied every test that a physician could 
apply. He said that the man's bones were perfectly sound. 
The doctor turned to me, and asked, 



WHERE IS THE LORD GOD OF ELIJAH 1 95 

" Do you know it for a fact that this man had his bones 
broken as has been described ? " 

I told him what I saw with my own eyes, and gave him 
the testimony of the physician. The doctor was a noted 
physician of the city of Salem, Mass., and there was no 
reason to doubt but that the man's ribs were broken, and 
his conduct at the time of the accident attested it. 

Then said the doctor, " It is one of the most wonderful 
cases I have ever seen. There is nothing the matter with 
this man's ribs, they are all perfectly sound. The Lord 
surely did a remarkable miracle upon this man." 

27. As far as I know, the man has been perfectly well 
from that day to this; he is constantly rejoicing in the 
great and mighty power of the blessed Christ. 

To me these experiences were a source of strength, and 
gave me greater faith in the power of God. While there 
are many more experiences which I might relate, these 
have been told to assure you that • <* the Lord God of 
Elijah" still lives. He has the same power to heal the 
.sick, to make injured men well, and to do for those who 
believe in Him to-day, that He had when He walked on 
this earth as a man among men. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



A GREAT BURDEN FOR 1VIY JEWISH BRETHREN. 

. i. Although I spent a number of years in preaching 
Jesus and Him crucified to the Gentiles, and to the Jews 
wherever I had the opportunity, the great burden to labor 
more exclusively for my Jewish brethren never left me. 
I felt by day as well as by night that something must be 
done that the millions of Jews might hear about this 
blessed Messiah. But the apostle says : 

" How then shall they call on Him in whom they have 
not believed ? and how shall they believe in Him of whom 
they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a 
preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be 
sent?" Rom. 10 : 14, 15. ■-_■. 

•2. As I would walk The streets of many of the cities, 

and^see the lost sheep of Israel, my soul would long to 

present them to Jesus in the arms of my faith. My soul 

; cried out to God that he would open the way whereby the 

love of Jesus might be presented.to them. But there were 

few people who seemed to have any interest in the Jews. 

I felt this way : Really, who cares for the Jews ? Who 

has any desire to help the Jews find their own Saviour ? 

How many times this would revolve in my mind, and I 

prayed that the blessed Lord would open some way, as He 

opened the Red Sea, that the gospel of the Son of God 

might be given to them. 

3. That the reader may the better realize how the Jews 
(196) 



A GREAT BURDEN FOR MY JEWISH BRETHREN 1 97 

feel because of the lack of interest in them, I will relate 
just one incident which came under my observation. I was 
to preach in a Baptist church in the city of Haverhill, 
Mass , on the work of the gospel among the Jews. At the 
close of the service, one of the leading men of the church 
came to me, and said : 

" I have had an experience with some of my men that 
has aroused a deep interest in my soul for the Jews. 
Anticipating your coming, I invited two of the men of the 
shop, Jews, who are working under my charge. I never 
knew how the Jews felt, until I had this experience with 
these men. I told them that you were going to speak 
in our church, and invited them to attend the service. One 
of them asked me, * Why do you want to have me go to 
the church ? ' — * Because I should like to have you hear this 
Jew preach to our people.' * Yes, but why do you want 
me to your church ? You must have a reason,' he asked. 
I knew they felt rather delicate about the matter by the 
way they talked. Finally they asked me, ' But what is 
your real purpose in wanting me to go to your church ? — 
' Because I feel interested in you Jewish people.' 

4. " The man cast a very peculiar glance at me, and 
then in a strange way said : ' Of course you are the boss, 
and I suppose it is in your power if you wish to discharge 
me, but I am going to venture to say it : Do you mean to 
say you are interested in me as a Jew ? Do you mean to 
tell me that there are Christian people who are really in- 
terested in the Jews, and who really have any regard for 
them ? ' 

5. "This was indeed a surprise to me. It was not' so 



I98 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

much what he said, as the way he said it. It appealed to 
me. I told him that I was interested in him, and assured 
him that my reason for asking him and his friend to come, 
was because I hoped that they might get some good." 

6. About this time I was deeply interested in the noble 
work of bringing to the people that blessed and helpful 
book, " Christ's Object Lessons. "(a) I was invited by a 
friend to attend a Freewill Baptist church service in one of 
the cities of Massachusetts, and he told me that he thought 
the pastor would doubtless interest the people in the pur- 
chase of this book. Upon reaching there, I was surprised 
to have the pastor come to me, and ask me if I would not 
speak that evening to his people. Very soon the pastor 
announced that there was a converted Jew in the church 
who would speak that evening. I prayed the Lord for 
special help that I might know what to say to them. 

7. At the close . of the service, the preacher not only 
spoke of the book I was selling, but also told the people 
that they ought to do something to help bring the gospel 
to the Jews. To my surprise an offering was taken for 
this work. It seemed like a little thing, but I believe that 
evening was the beginning of a new experience with me in 
connection with the work for the Jews. I found that there 
were people who were interested in the Jews, and who 
longed to do something for them. 

8. Just, how it happened I cannot tell, but, rather singu- 
larly as well as providentially, there came to me many calls 
from churches of all denominations to tell them about the 
needs of the work for the Jews. There seemed to be 
springing up in the hearts of my own brethren, and of 




MRS. E. G. WHITE. 
AUTHOR OF "CHRIST'S OBJECT LESSONS," AND OTHER VALUABLE WORKS. 



A GREAT BURDEN FOR MY JEWISH BRETHREN 1 99 

Christians generally, a desire to hear about the Jewish 
question, and why the Jews seemed so hard towards the 
gospel. I was kept busy with appointments made months 
ahead to speak in different churches, not only about the 
work among the Jews, but also along other lines of gospel 
truth. I found that wherever an awakening was created 
to do something for the Jews, there was also a stronger de- 
sire upon the part of Christians to know more about the 
word of God. Light was pouring into my soul, and I 
could see that God was anwering my prayers, but in a way 
that I had not expected. 

9. Thousands of Christians were being helped and 
blessed in gaining additional light from the word of God, 
and they in turn felt it but a privilege to do something for 
the poor Jews, to give them the gospel of Jesus. The 
Gentile Christians desired to know more about the proph- 
ecies of the Bible, and were glad to learn more of the Old 
Testament in a way that it had never been expounded to 
them before. 

10. While I Was preaching in one of the large Baptist 
churches in Massachusetts, a very interesting and attentive 
audience gave heed to the word spoken, and seemed glad 
to learn many of the precious truths of the Bible. After 
the service, the pastor, in conversation, said, 

"It seems to me that it will be a great blessing for the 

church to work for the Jews. While it may bring many 

of the Jews to Christ, it will bring added light from the 
Bible to the church." 

Certainly this man took a very sensible view of the 
situation. 



200 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

ii.. While I was kept busy at this line of work, the bur- 
den for my Jewish brethren continued to increase, and I 
was constantly praying to know what could be done for 
them, how we could start the work. I knew that it would 
take much money to carry on this work for the Jews, as 
everything must be done from a philanthropic standpoint. (b) 
Though I was receiving some money from friends and in- 
terested persons, in offerings, I felt that other ways would 
have to be found by which we could secure more means to 
carry on this work. My faith in the Lord was growing 
stronger, and I believed that the Lord would open a way 
to help us solve the problem. 

A WORK OF FAITH. 

12. With this continued interest among the churches of 
various Christian faiths in the work for the Jews, with the 
desire on the part of many of the people to learn more 
about the Bible, with a number of open doors given me to 
preach the truth of God for these latter times to many 
thousands of people, I felt it was a duty I owed these per- 
sons to give them more of the truth of God in a set form, 
that they did not have. To thousands of professed Chris- 
tian people the Bible is practically a sealed book, and as I 
would open to their understanding many of the simple 
prophecies of the word of the Lord, it seemed to them as 
though a revelation was brought to their understanding. 
Many of the people longed to get hold of something in 
written form that would be of permanent use. 

13. While holding Bible classes in Y. M. C. A 's, while 
giving series of Bible lectures in many of the churches, 
while having the privilege of interesting many persons by 



A GREAT BURDEN FOR MY JEWISH BRETHREN 201 




FACSIMILE OF BOOK PUBLISHED 

good books and other literature on the prophecies and other 
points of truth, to prepare for the coming of the Lord, I 
felt that if I could publish a book which would explain 
many of these truths from the standpoint of the oracles of 
the Bible, 1 it would accomplish a threefold purpose : First, 
it might give thousands of people a better opportunity to 
know of the message of God for to-day, and at the same 
time it might disarm them of much prejudice which people 
have, especially against Old Testament prophecies ; sec- 



x Acts 7 : 38. 



202 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

ond, it would perhaps reach some Jews who would be will- 
ing to read such a book, and at the same time would be- 
come less prejudiced ; third, if it would please the Lord to 
help in the disposing of these books, it would give us some 
money to carry on the work for the Jews, thus preparing 
the way for a more definite work of the gospel among 
these lost sheep. 

13. Days and hours were spent in thought and prayer. 
Many, many times did I revolve this thing in my mind ; to 
me it meant much. I was without a dollar in the world. 
I had a wife and two children. I was receiving from the 
work of the ministry barely sufficient to support my family. 
My education was rather limited, and labors were many. 
Now here was a proposal to write a book, publish it, raise 
funds for it, and at the same time plan to sell it. It seemed 
like a large undertaking, but I studied the matter much, 
and spent time in thought and counsel with God. My plan 
was to write the book, get some house to print it, and 
through the assistance of friends have the book circulated. 
The more I thought of the matter, the more I firmly be- 
lieved the Lord would have me undertake the work, and I 
finally decided to divulge my plan to my wife. Coming 
home one day, I said to her : 

"Wife, I have something to tell you. It may mean 

much, but I am going to tell it to you." 

14. She seemed surprised and thought that something un- 
usual was in my mind. I finally said to her : " You know 
how I have a burden for the Jews, and how I have longed 
to do something for them in bringing to them the gospel 
There seems to be so few people who care for them, that 



A GREAT BURDEN FOR MY JEWISH BRETHREN 203 

I feel as though I must do something more than I am do- 
ing to reach them with the gospel. The Lord has given 
me an open door into many churches, and there seems to 
be a desire on the part of many of the people to know 
more about the word of God, who in turn will do some- 
thing to help the Jews. So I have planned to publish a 
book, and to print ten thousand copies of it. I do not 
know yet how large it will be, and I am not certain 
yet what lines of Bible truth I shall follow. I expect to 
take up many of the customs and oracles of the Bible, and 
if possible to shed some light on the Scriptures in harmony 
with the message of God for to-day. I think I shall be able 
to get a book which ought to sell for a dollar. That will 
mean ten thousand books and ten thousand dollars." 

15. "You see," I continued, "if we sell all these books, 
we shall place in the hands of the people the truth of God, 
and at the same time we shall have some funds to use for 
Jewish work. And I shall be so happy ! I. know the Lord 
will help me, and we shall yet see God work wonders." 

16. My wife was somewhat startled at the magnitude 
of the proposition, to think that I should undertake such a 
proposal with no money, no backing, no influence. With 
a family of three dependent upon me, how could I involve 
myself in such an expense. Besides the cost of the book, 
there were thousands of dollars I was promising for the 
Jewish work. It looked like a heavy burden, and I had no 
one who was especially interested in the project. But the 
more I thought of it, the more my faith in the plan grew, 
the more I felt that God would demonstrate that the man 
who was called to work for God and who really had faith 



204 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

in Him, would be prospered in proportion to that faith. 

17. There was another reason I had for doing this : The 
Jews believe that the reason why a man becomes a mis- 
sionary among the Jews is because he receives large sums 
of money from Christians for doing this sort of work. The 
reader may be interested to know that the Jews are taught 
by the rabbis that this gospel work the Jews do among 
their brethren is done solely for the financial advantage 
there is in it. I felt that if the blessed Lord would help 
me to sell these books, we could have some funds from a 
source which would prove to the Jews that there were peo- 
ple who loved them for what they could put into the work, 
rather than for what they could get out of it. 

18. That the reader may have a clearer idea what I 
mean by this latter expression, one illustration will be 
given. While I was engaged in mission work in Boston 
among the Jews, one evening a number of young men came 
into the hall. They evidently came to have some enter- 
tainment at the expense of the missionary, and so started 
to raise questions and objections. Finally, one of them 
asked : 

" Mr. Missionary, say, do you not get a good deal out of 
this business ? Of course you can fool the Goyirn, Gen- 
tiles, and make them think you are doing this because you 
like it ; but you know, and we know, that there is lots of 
money in this business, and this is why you do it. Now 
be honest, do you not get a whole lot for doing this work ? " 

19. If this question had been put to me once, it had 
been put a thousand times ; and so I decided that these 
young men should be taught a lesson. At the same time, 



A GREAT BURDEN FOR MY JEWISH BRETHREN 205 

I hoped that they might see the error of this idea which 
they and all the Jews have. So I said : 

" Yes, brethren, I do get a great deal out of this religion, 
only I get more, than you really think or expect." 

At once their interest was raised and their curiosity was 
aroused.. 

" My/' they said, "he is going to tell us. I knew that 
he would. You see, you are a Jew and we are Jews ; and 
what odds does it. make. We will never tell; and we 
thought perhaps you would tell us, and we assure you we 
will never say a word about it to any one." 

20. Oh how eager they were to know ; how anxious was 
the look on their faces. They expected to hear something 
which they could carry away to tell their Jewish brethren, 
and this would assure them more than ever that what the 
rabbi told them about the missionaries' working for money 
was true. 

21. I said: " Yes, brethren, there is much more in this 
religion than any of our people ever thought of, and how 
much a man does get out of it. who reajly takes to it 1 It 
IS: really wonderful, how much one gets if. he has. this 
religion." , 

22. Then they asked, "Is- it so much that you do. not 
want to tell us? We should just like to know." 

Feeling that they had been anxious long .enough, and 
seeing that their interest was raised to its highest -pitch, I 

said: , -' ,'.-.. . , , . -. . ,, ... 

. " Yes, brethren, I will tell you, and T wish you 'to Hear 

, well what I get out of this .religion, and then I wish you" to 

"decide if it does not pay for" a man to have if.' Qutof trlis 



206 



JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 




JEWS GATHERING IN FRONT OF MISSION 

religion I get peace, joy, happiness, love, the blessed con- 
sciousness of knowing that God, for Jesus' sake, has really 
forgiven me of my sins, and I am at one with God. Say, 
do you not think that is a great deal for a man to get out 
of his religion ? Do you get as much as that out of yours V 
23. The young men were surprised and startled; they 
were so taken aback that they scarcely knew for a few sec- 
onds what to say* It seemed so different from what they 
expected to hear that they were chagrined, One of then? 
finally" spoke up, and asked, 



A GREAT BURDEN FOR MY JEWISH BRETHREN 207 

" Say, Mister, do you live on it ? Does it feed you ?" 

"Yes," I said, "much of the time; for you know Moses 
in the law said that man should not live by bread alone, 
but by every word which cometh out of the mouth of the 
Lord. You see it is something that a man can live on 
much of the time." 

24. The young men stood and thought for a moment ; 
they finally took their hats, and said : 

"Good night, Mr. Missionary, perhaps we may come 
again sometime." We were thankful to the Lord for this 
experience, for those young men learned that there were 
people who labored for the Jews in the spirit of the Mes- 
siah, because of the peace and happiness which the blessed 
Lord brings to the soul. Thus I hoped that getting 
out this book would be a help in breaking down some of 
the prejudices of the Jews, when they learned that there 
was love enough in Christ to lead a man to put much into 
the work, instead of simply working for what he could get 
out of it. 

25 Having fully decided to publish the book, day after 
day I sought the Lord for wisdom and counsel how to 
proceed, and He gave light, assurance, and peace. In the 
month of March I decided to begin to write the book, and 
in September of the same year we had the book printed to 
place in the hands of the binder to prepare for the market. 
God wonderfully opened ways, doors, and hearts. It 
seemed that every friend I had became interested in the 
project, and the good hand of our God was upon us for 
good. It is true that the devil worked hard against us ; 
he tried every way possible to discourage and to dishearten 



^08 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

us ; he brought sickness, disappointment, and much per- 
plexity, but through it all we triumphed in God. 

26. It was during this time that our little girl was afflicted 
with infantile paralysis, as mentioned in chapter fifteen, and 
the Lord mercifully and miraculously healed her. One other 
experience might be related how the Lord was preciously 
near during this time, and how He gave every encourage- 
ment and assurance that despite the bitter opposition of 
the enemy, He was with us to bless us. We were pre- 
paring to illustrate the book. We had expected friends 
would grant us the use of certain illustrations. On 
the strength of what we expected, we had a num- 
ber of cuts made costing about twenty dollars, which 
was a large amount at a time like that. Coming home one 
evening after a preaching tour, among many letters, I 
found the one awaiting me for which, I had long been look- 
ing. To my surprise, as well as to the sorrow of my heart, 
I read these words : 

" We do not see our way clear to let you use the illus- 
trations." I poured out my soul to God, and pleaded 
with Him to give us light and truth, that we might not be 
baffled in the enterprise. We must do something for the 
Jews, and this seemed like a hindrance of Satan. 

27. That night the Lord came preciously near and gave 
me a dream. I dreamed that I was in a room where every- 
thing seemed to be light. It was a beautiful soft halo, and 
everywhere about the room it all seemed to be light, except 
one place. While I looked for an instant at the darkness, 
it suddenly vanished ; and then came the words to my soul : 

" The Lord is my light and my salvation ; whom shall I 



A GREAT BURDEN FOR MY JEWISH BRETHREN 209 

fear ? the Lord is the strength of my life ; of whom shall I 
be afraid ? "■* I soon awoke ; I told my wife of the experi- 
ence ; and added, 

" I believe from this day forward everything will be light 
in connection with that book. There will be no more 
dark experiences in our work with it till it is done." 

I wish to bear testimony to the goodness and kindness 
of God that not another hindrance occurred till the book 
was sold. 

28. Instead of getting out an edition of ten thousand, as 
I anticipated, we published fifteen thousand copies ; and at 
the time of this writing, the edition is all sold. The book 
has been blessed of God. It has gone to every State in 
this Union, and into many lands. The dear Lord has 
owned and blessed it, despite the fact that it was far from 
what it ought to he. Many kind words have come to the 
writer from people of all classes concerning it, from both 
Jew and Gentile ; many a heart has been led into the truth 
of God through its feeble efforts, and many a soul has re- 
joiced in the additional light they have found therein. To 
the blessed Jesus be all the glory and the honor. 

29. There was a demand for the work, and thousands of 
them were sold in a short time. As fast as they were 
being sold, I was planning how I could do something from 
the profits for the work among the Jews. After prayer 
and counsel with brethren, it was decided to write and to 
print a tract in Yiddish and English. Looking the field 
over, and giving the matter much thought and study, we 

14 

2 Ps. 27 : 1 . 



2IO 



JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 



decided to get out a literature for the Jews which we hoped 
would appeal to the most strictly orthodox. At the same 
time, by printing it in two languages on opposite pages, it 
would be an encouragement to many of the Jews to learn 
the English language. 

30. There was another reason we had for doing this. 
The Jews believe that the religion of the Christian is con- 
trary to the religion of the Jew, and the teaching of the 
Christian's religion is opposed to the teaching of the Jew- 
ish religion. That is to say, the Jews believe that the 
New Testament teaching has a tendency to destroy the 



♦mm dikj 



,'3 .ft .oj .p nyzrjnv? »»n» ct«n_ .;;],- pe wi § 



$ AND THE REDEEMER SHALL COME TO ZION, AND TURN 
1 AWAY TRANSGRESSION IN JACOB. SAITH JEHOVAH. S 
g Isaiah 59:20. Hebrew Translation, &' 

L J 

FACSIMILE OF TRACT " ISRAEL'S DELIVERER. 



A GREAT BURDEN FOR MY JEWISH BRETHREN 21 I 

Old Testament teaching. If the Jew could read the proph- 
ecies of the Old Testament in his own language, and 
then read the same thing in the language of the Gentile, — 
could see that the Gentile believes in the Old Testament 
as well as in the New, — we felt that quite a point would 
be gained. 

3 1 . With the blessing of God we finished the first Jew- 
ish tract, and we are sure that the reader will be interested 
to read a few testimonials from Jews in different parts of 
the land which have come to us unsolicited showing their 
interest in its teachings. (c) Of that one tract alone we 
have already printed one hundred and ten thousand copies 
in Yiddish, English, and German. It seems hard work at 
times to keep up with the demand ; calls come to us from 
many places for more of that one tract. It is entitled, 
" Israel's Deliverer," and it considers the first and second 
advent of the Messiah, showing conclusively that Jesus is 
that Messiah. Almost six millibn pages of literature have 
been sent to the Jews in this one tract. It has gone to 
the ends of the earth, into nearly every country in the 
world where Jews live. A short time ago, a request came 
to the writer from Turkey asking for the privilege of hav- 
ing it translated into the Judeo- Spanish, a jargon used by 
the Jews in the Orient. Now nearly all the Jews in the 
world who speak either the Yiddish of the Occident or the 
Yiddish of the Orient can read this literature. For this 
we thank God, and take courage. The more we printed 
and distributed this tract among the Jews, the more my 
heart was burdened for my people. • I felt that something 
mtore must be done to Wing JfcsXis to them. I c'ould not 



2 12 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

seem to see very much accomplished, though I knew the 
seed was being sown. We printed and issued a second 
tract, and this, too, the Jews gladly received. Until the 
present time we have printed and circulated five different 
tracts in Yiddish and English, which have amounted to 
nearly eleven million pages. I praise and bless God for 
the privilege of sowing something of the word of God in the 
hearts of the lost sheep of the house of Israel. We expect 
to see much accomplished yet through this literature, and 
we believe we shall see our heart's- desire in having many 
of the Jews turn to the dear Jesus, their own Messiah and 
Saviour. 



EXPLANATORY . NOTES. 

EAEAGRAPir 6 (a)..— rThsu iauthorVof this, book .has. donated: its proceeds 
.. for -the relief of schools where the principles of true Christian educa- 
tion are advocated, and where young men and women ara trained for 

~ = ' real missionary work. - " ■*"•* 

Par. 11 ^),— -The Jew naturally does not desire' the gospel. . To him .the 
.'••' jgospel of Jesus is enmity. From his point of view- Christianity is a- 
deadly poison, and has done his people much harm. Why should he 
desire such a religion? By" offering him the gospel without money 
and without price, by doing all that can be done philanthropiGally, it' 
aids him to see that the religion Qf Jesus, is a kind religion, and is -a 
remedy for his soul. Christian people are. willing to spend money- 
freely to help the Jews. 
Par.- S2- (<r)\— -Here- are a few sample letters from Jews who -have- writteft 
■ '. to us. Concerning fhe tracts which'.they .have received.; . , ... ... .. ;..; 

. . From a Jew. in San Francisco : - ^ ,.- 

J. . i /'Dear Sir: — I am carrying one, of your, traces, with me,, and 

■■'"*"" r&'d it with muctt pleasure frf th'e* h9uVs''6ftrou^lWthkr , con1e*^-nfa : rfy 



A GREAT BURDEN FOR MY JEWISH BRETHREN 2 I 3 

over my heart. Please send me a New Testament and the Psalms. 
" Yours thankfully." 

From a Jew in Milwaukee, Wis. 

" Honored Sir, Mr. Gilbert: — I have at hand a tract, en- 
titled, ' The Redeemer Shall Come to Zion,' and I have carefully 
pondered it through. In truth, this tract does make one 
do some after thinking. I am a man, a father of a family, with a 
wife and twelve children ... I would very much desire that some 
one of your representatives shall come to visit me, and to converse 
with me about these things. I desire that when my children shall 
come to the years of understanding and maturity they shall see that I 
had in my heart their good and their happiness. Naturally this sub- 
ject is rather a delicate one to discuss through letters, but if you con- 
sider me worthy of any consideration, please answer me at your earli- 
est convenience. Please send me a number of copies of this tract . . . 
" With much respect." 

From a Jew in Clarksdale, Miss. 

" Mr. F. C. Gilbert, Dear Sir : — A friend of mine lent me a 
book of which I enclose outside cover, and I herewith ask if you can 
send me the books of which you speak in this one. I want the books 
printed the same as this one on one side in English and on the other 
side plain in Jewish [This is Yiddish.] . . . I am very much interested 
in this, and am anxious to have the book or books giving all the ex- 
planations of the chapters and pages referred to in this book. ... I 
trust that I shall receive them by return mail, 

" Yours truly." 

From a Jew on Long Island to one of our workers. 

" Dear Madam : — I received your letter, and am very thankful 
that you take an interest in my letter. As you asked me what 1 think 
Of Jesus, I cannot write anything yet, as I have not had the oppor- 
tunity to study it up, as it is the first time that I looked into a book 
like that. I heard of it, but never had the pleasure to see it. 

" Very respectfully." 



CHAPTER XVII. 



HOW GOD LED IN OPENING OUR FIRST 
JEWISH MISSION. 

1 . As God opened the way for us to secure means from 
the sale of the book, " Practical Lessons from the Expe- 
rience of Israel," and in the offerings from brethren and 
friends, He gave us also open hearts of men and women 
who were interesting themselves in the work among the 
Jews. Everywhere we went we found many persons de- 
siring to know what could be done for the Jews. I there- 
fore felt that the time had come when something definite 
should be done in proclaiming the good news of a risen 
and soon-coming Messiah to my Jewish brethren. I also 
prayed that God would give us "workers whom He would 
call to His work, and would give a place where we might 
begin operations. 

2. Knowing that the mission work for Jews was costly, 
as everything about the work had to be done from a gratu- 
itous standpoint, I felt that I must be sure that the Lord 
Himself was guiding us to the place, and it was He who 
was giving us the workers. Since the Lord called His 
disciples when here on earth to labor among the Jews, why 
should He not call His disciples again to labor for the lost 
sheep of Israel ? The thought kept pressing upon my soul 
that God would indeed lead and guide, even as He had led 
until this time. I felt impressed that the place to begin 
work was in Boston, Mass. At that time, with nearly three 
hundred thousand Jews in New England, there was hardly 



OPENING OUR FIRST JEWISH MISSION 2 I 5 

a thing being done for these poor Jewish brethren to bring 
to them the bread of life. 

3. A number of years before this time, there was a lo- 
cation in a certain Ghetto which I felt would be a good 
place to start a mission work. It was in the heart of 
twenty-five thousand Jews, quite a public thoroughfare, and 
very accessible to the Jews. This was about ten years 
previous to this period, and I had repeatedly wished that a 
certain building might be the one to be used for this work. 
Having now secured some money for this part of the work 
from the sale of the book, according to my previous arrange- 
ment, I went with a brother deeply interested in the work, 
Pastor A. E. Place, to take a trip through the Ghettos of 
Boston, to see what the Lord would have for us, if the time 
had really come for a mission to be opened among the Jews. 
We tramped the streets for a long time, but. found nothing. 
Neither of us felt impressed that we had seen anything yet 
proper for a location, so we continued on our way making 
still further investigations. 

4. We finally reached the street where I had hoped we 
might some time locate our mission, if it were the will of 
the Lord. I suggested to this brother that we make a trip 
through this thoroughfare, though I knew that the partic- 
ular store I would like had been rented for many years, 
and was scarcely ever known to be vacant. As we reached 
the opposite side of the building, I said to Brother Place, 

" Let us go across the street and look at the store that I 
had always hoped we might have for a mission. You see 
it is let now, but then we might go and look at it, and see 
what a nice mission it would make." 



2l6 



JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 







..;■:■,;'.:>-■ - ■ v- 

gr* "■■ 






'■H "" ' 


■ 


'•'■' ' .A '"■: ■'- 


BiBHBHHiHHl 



CUT OF MISSION IN SOUTH END BOSTON, MASS. 

5. We accordingly walked to the building, and to our 
surprise and wonder, it appeared to be vacant. The signs 
of the business of the place were all over the store win- 
dows, but it seemed as though the people had removed. I 
at once rang the door-bell at the side, and inquired of the 
residents above, if the building below was vacant, and 
when it was vacated. The woman said : 

" Yes, I think the store is to let. It was vacated by the 
people last night at twelve o'clock. The proprietor has not 
yet been around to put up the sign. If you went to see 
him, may be you could get it." 

This certainly seemed wonderful. This very morning 
when we were looking for a place, we had found the very 
building we had planned and hoped for years to have, if it 



OPENING OUR FIRST JEWISH MISSION 2 17 

were the will of the Lord ; and the very night before at 
midnight the place was vacated, and not even a sign was 
posted announcing it to be vacant. It was in a location 
where property was in great demand, and it could not long 
be vacant. The brother and I concluded that it was cer- 
tainly a direct providence of God ; and it seemed as though 
the same Lord who .guided Eliezer to get the right person 
for a wife for his master's son, was guiding us in the selec- 
tion of a place to locate our mission. 1 This made us very 
happy, and we felt indeed that Heaven was showing appro- 
bation of the course pursued. 

6. We prayed that the Lord would incline the heart of 
the man to let us have the place so that it might not fall 
into other hands. Hastening to see the proprietor, we se- 
cured the privilege of looking over the place, We soon 
invited other brethren to counsel with us, and all were de- 
cidedly certain that there was no mistake in the selection. 
How kind it is of the dear Lord to be patient with us in 
our frailties and in our human weaknesses ! 

7. I returned to see the proprietor to ask him if I might 
have the refusal of the place for twenty-four hours. I was 
informed by one of his associates that they did not do busi- 
ness that way in that section of the city. The man who 
wanted the place and had the deposit to give, was the man 
whose it was. He said he could not promise the place for 
an hour, as there were several who were after it. I said 
to this man : 

" You tell the proprietor that I should like to have him 

x Gen. 25 ; 12, 21, 27, 50. 



2l8 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

keep it for me for twenty-four hours, and then I will let 
him know what we decide." 

8. I called again to see the owner, and then told him for 
what purpose I wished to secure the place. He seemed 
very glad to think it would be put to such a use, as he 
thought it would be a good thing for the community. He 
said to me : 

" I can get ninety dollars a month for that store for cer- 
tain kinds of business. I do not want to let it for those 
kinds ; but I should like to have you for a tenant, and your 
work represented there. If you will take it, I will rent it 
to you for forty-five dollars a month." 

This seemed to us an additional answer to our prayers, 
and it looked as though the Lord was making it very clear 
to us that the pillar of cloud would settle here, and for the 
present this was the place where a sanctuary for Israel 
should be erected. The owner informed me that there 
were a number of persons after the place, and he could 
lease it very quickly ; but he desired that we should occupy 
the premises. He said : 

" I will be willing to hold it for you till the time to- 
morrow that you request, but at one hour after that, there 
is another person coming, and if I do not hear from you at 
that time, I shall let the place." 

9, With this understanding, we left, but the conviction 
was fastening upon all those who saw the place that our 
whole experience in connection with it was so markedly 
providential, that the Lord was clearly indicating to us all 
that it was the place for the work. At the appointed hour, 
the deal was consummated, and we blessed God for the 



OPENING OUR FIRST JEWISH MISSION 219 

wonderful answer to prayer, and for the clear evidences He 
had given us that we were locating in the right place. 

10. Now we needed the workers. Would the Lord as 
signally indicate to us who the workers should be ? After 
earnest prayer, I felt impressed to visit a sister in Christ 
who had shown herself devoted to the cause of God. I 
knew that whoever entered into this work for the Jews 
would find it a very trying and difficult work, and it needed 
persons of consecration and deep devotion to the Lord 
Jesus, as well as a great deal of love for the Jews. Noth- 
ing but the love power of Christ and His spirit of self-de- 
nial and self-sacrifice would be able to enter into this work 
for these lost sheep. I knew we should meet with ridicule, 
scoffing, persecution, and blasphemy ; still I knew there 
were souls who had love so deep for the Saviour and for 
His own brethren in the flesh that they would be willing 
to take up this work. 

1 1 . Upon calling to see this sister, I laid the whole plan 
before her, and especially told her of the trials and tribu- 
lations which would be met with in the Jewish work. I 
assured her that there would be many difficulties and per- 
plexities in the way, and much labor that would be unappre- 
ciated ; but I told her to pray over the matter, and if she 
was impressed by the Holy Spirit that she ought to enter 
into this work, we wished her to come. I knew that she 
was especially adapted for work among the children ; and 
it means a great deal to get at the heart of the Jewish child 
who has been trained in an orthodox Jewish home. The 
reader will appreciate this more as we relate some interest- 
ing experiences in the next chapter. 



2 20 



JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 




MISS JENNIE PERSON CARING FOR A JEWISH CHILD. 

12 After prayer, study, and consideration, Miss Person 
decided to cast in her lot with the Jews, even as Moses 
cast in his lot with the Israelitish slaves of Egypt. 2 She 
gave up a lucrative position, and she felt peace with God 
in the decision she had made. For a number of years she 
has been a great help in this work. It has cost her health, 
strength, and much labor, but we believe^ that in the king- 
dom of God she will be rewarded for her faithful efforts 
put forth for the lost sheep of Israel. 

13. We very much needed a man to do colporteur work 



2 Heb. 11 :_4-i'G. 



OPENING OUR FIRST JEWISH MISSION 



221 



among the Jews. This was an especially hard work, a 
work that would meet with fierce and stern opposition. 
This work would meet with much persecution, it would 
meet with cursing and reviling, it would meet with hard 
fighting with the powers of darkness, as we knew that the 
Jews would resist every effort brought to them to save 
their poor souls. The Lord gave us the man who was 
willing to do this, and we felt thankful that the Saviour 
was opening the hearts of His children to do something 
for His own lost brethren of the house of Israel. 

14. In this connection I wish to relate another incident 




W. Bf '"UtT'HTMANN, OUR 'FIRST COLPORTEUR. 






22 2 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

which shows how God was indicating that His hand was in 
the work, and that He was calling for workers in this 
branch of His vineyard. I expect to see these workers, 
and many others, have a part to act in the carrying on of 
the work among the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 

15. As I attended a session of the General Conference 
at Washington, D. C, in the year 1905, the Lord provi- 
dentially opened the way whereby the attention of this 
work was brought to thousands of His believing children. 
I always felt that God would work out His plans in His 
own way and in His own good time. I was at that time 
the only Jewish Christian in the work of the Lord who felt 
the special burden to labor for the Jews. 

16. The Holy Spirit impressed my heart with a message 
for the people in behalf of the lost sheep of Israel, and it 
was a source of much encouragement to see many mois- 
tened eyes, and to hear so many responsive amens in be- 
half of the work among the Jews. It seemed as though a 
heavenly inspiration had come to my soul. A better day 
was dawning, and God would yet indeed visit and redeem 
His people. It made me feel very happy, for I felt that 
it was a blessed opportunity to speak for my brethren, and 
to plead their cause. 

1 7. At the close of the talk a lady, a gentle sister in 
Christ, came to me and introduced herself. She told me 
of her interest in the work of the Lord, and she longed to 
do something definite for Jesus. She had come to the con- 
ference to hear the appeals from missionaries from all parts 
of the world, and she was listening to hear where the Lprd 
wbteld haVe her go, Shfe wished to give her life to the serV- 



OPENING OUR FIRST JEWISH MISSION 



223 



ice of Christ, and desired to do the work the Lord would 
have her do. She was listening to calls from among the 
different nations and tongues, in order to know where she 
should go. And she said : 

" I believe, brother, that the Lord has called me to this 
work for the Jews. I believe I have heard the call, and I 




MISS MINNIE SANDERSON, WHO VOLUNTEERED HER SERVICES. 

believe the Lord would have me labor for the Jewish people. 
I feel as though I was appealed to, to do something for 
these poor Jews, and if you would be willing, I should be 
glad to come to Boston and to join your company of work- 
ers, and to have a part in the work." 

18. I cannot express in words how thankful to God I 



2 24 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

was that here was another direct answer to prayer, for here 
the Lord had given to us another worker, — one who loved 
Christ, and one who was willing to give up the comforts of 
a beautiful home, and all the pleasures associated with 
loved ones ; and at her own charges, go to labor in the 
vineyard among the lost sheep of Israel. This was certainly 
an additional evidence that God was guiding in the work ; 
we cannot ask for bread, and expect thai He will give us a 
stone. It is not like the Lord to do that ; and these 
workers, one by one, were being called by the Lord's 
Spirit, and they were manifesting their own will to have a 
part in this work. 

19. Miss Sanderson left much to come and join our 
working force, and we are sure the Lord did not forget her 
labors of love and her willingness to do for His sake what 
she could for the brethren of Jesus. She spent several 
years with us in Boston and vicinity, in hard work, in much 
suffering, in great self-denial, in much opposition, and we 
trust that she may yet be spared to labor for many more 
lost souls of the house of Israel, and to tenderly weep for 
them that they may find their own Messiah and Saviour. 

20. Besides these faithful laborers, the Lord gave to us 
other workers who were devoted to the cause of Christ, 
and who were in sympathy with the work among the Jews. 
The result was that in connection with the mission we had 
a home for the workers, and a place where the Jews could 
come to see us, to talk with us privately about their soul's 
salvation. Many friends became interested in the mission 
and in the home, and Mrs. Wheeler, the matron of the 
home, was indeed a mother in Israel. 




w 

X 

£-1 

o 

o 

fa 

o 

tn 

5 



OPENING OUR FIRST JEWISH MISSION 225 

2 1 . There were a large number of friends who attended 
the dedicatory exercises, Jews and Gentiles, and we were 
encouraged to see that the time had come when the work 
for the Jews was being enlarged. With faithful helpers 
and a central location, we felt that, with the power of the 
Holy Spirit, the mission would accomplish some good for 
the Master in having the lost sheep of Israel in Boston and 
vicinity know that there was a people from among their 
own brethren who longed to bring Christ to them. 

22. Such a place it indeed proved to be. The workers 
visited not only tens of thousands of Jews in Boston and 
the near vicinity, but many outlying cities were visited. 
For many miles around, the mission had indeed become a 
city which was set on a hill. 3 Jews would come to the 
mission from cities and towns a long way from Boston, and 
tell us that they had heard about the work that was being 
started for their brethren. The blessing of the Lord was 
going before us, and was with us in our efforts to warn our 
Jewish brethren of the living Saviour, and we must leave 
the reader to follow the succeeding chapters to learn more 
of the experiences which were awaiting us in connection 
with our efforts for this work in Boston, so signally opened 
to us by the direct providence of God. 



3 Matt. 5:14,15. 
15 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



AROUSING THE CHRISTIAN PEOPLE IN BEHALE 
OE THE WORK AMONG THE JEWS. 

1. With literature started for the Jewish people, with 
a mission begun in their behalf, the burden came to me 
that other places and cities where the Jews lived, must 
have something done for them in order that the lost sheep 
of Israel might be aroused to realize that the time had 
come when they must give their ears to listen to the gospel. 

2. In connection with the work, we began the publish- 
ing of a monthly magazine, The Good Tidings of the Mes- 
siah. There were two reasons for issuing this journal. 
As we met the people of God in other cities, we were 
nearly always confronted with this great question : " My 
brother, we have in this city thousands of Jews. We be- 
lieve that they ought to have the blessed gospel of Jesus. 
But they are so opposed to the good tidings of the Saviour 
that the minute you talk to them about Jesus, they become 
enraged, and will scarcely give you their attention. What 
can be done ? Have you any way by which they can be 
reached ? What are the methods you employ to bring this 
truth to the Jewish people ? " 

3.^ Questions touching this subject came from persons 
in the North, the South, the East, and the West. We 
found everywhere a desire on the part of thousands of God's 
children to help the Jews, a spirit of willingness to do ' 
something for them ; but there seemed to be a lack of 
knowledge. Hence it was felt a necessity to publish a 

(226) * 



AROUSING THE CHRISTIAN PEOPLE 227 

magazine for the benefit of the people who desired to learn 
how to reach the Jews. Secondly, we wished to impart 
such knowledge and information as would open to the 
minds of those who desired to instruct the Jews in the 
gospel, certain phases of scriptural truth with which the 
Jews are familiar, (a) 

4. It must at once be recognized that the Jew will have 
nothing to do with the New Testament. To him it is 
either a sealed book, or else a bad book. Till the Jew has 
read it for himself, or is in some way made familiar with it, 
it is a sealed book. Hence you cannot try to convince 
him that he ought to believe in the Messiah, Jesus, because 
it says so in the New Testament. He must know these 
facts and truths from Moses and the prophets. 1 He must 
see these great and wonderful promises and prophecies 
from his own Bible, T'nach ; and from these books he must 
be convinced that there was not only a true Messiah to 
come, but that this Messiah has already come, and this 
Messiah is Jesus. We know, however, that while there 
are many persons who love the word of God, and a great 
number who love the Old Testament, there is not a large 
number even of good Christian people who knbw very 
much of these special scriptures and prophecies of the Old 
Testament which point specifically to Jesus as the Messiah. 

5. Hence the reason and necessity for the publication 
of this little monthly paper. We are glad that during the 
five years of its existence the dear Lord has blessed its 
feeble efforts* and there are scores* we believe huntfrgds, of 

l Jolan 5 j 45 ; UiVe U : 26, 2T, 444& 



2 28 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

God's children who five years ago took very little interest 
in the work among the Jews, who to-day are deeply in- 
terested to have the Jews know this blessed Jesus as well 
as the Gentiles (b) 

6. There came to us many invitations from different 
parts of the land to tell the story of the work among God's 
ancient people. Privileges and open doors were granted to 
us at many camp-meetings and churches in large cities in 
the Central and Middle West, as well as all through the 
East. We began an educational campaign in behalf of 
the work among the Jewish people. God gave us many 
opportunities and many open, hearts. On every hand hun- 
dreds of people came to us asking questions as to how to 
break down this: awful prejudice,; and calls came in loud 
tones for literature to give to the Jewish people. 

7.. Another thing was very interesting in this campaign 
work; i : .; We call this public effort the. beginning campaign 
work,.- for w.e. believe that the time: will come when from all 
parts of the land there will arise many calls, not only, to 
give information .concerning the .Jews,. but. also to give this 
blessed, pure- and undefiled. gospel, of Christ to the tens of 
thousands -. of ; . the. .lost sheep '. .who .., are coming to these 
shores, (c). .. We. were at. this time, educating the people to 
see: that one reason • why the Jew feels., as ;he 4 does 
towards, the. Christian, religion, and. towards the. Christian 
peopje., .is -because of: what the . Christian, religion has 
dtfne- W ; nim.' arid His ancestors, . . It. may ; not be gen- 
erail^'kiiatov'tlut.the two .roost Christian, powers in, the 
world to the Jew are Russia and Rome. To the masses of 
the children of . ^frrar^amj tjjese^two^ are the highest ideals 



AROUSING THE CHRISTIAN PEOPLE 2 29 

of Christianity. Knowing what the readers are familiar 
with concerning the horrible massacres and butcheries of 
the Jews by these two powers, the Jews have concluded 
thousands of times that the Christian religion is a bitter and 
persecuting religion, and therefore no. Jew. should have any- 
thing to do with it. If a Jew does have anything to. do 
with the Christian religion, it is because, either he is igno- 
rant of the history of the Jews, or else he has done toward 
his brethren as. Judas did toward Jesus. 

8. Perhaps the reader will be interested in just one or 
two illustrations of this thought which have come under my 
observation : while I was visiting in a Jewish home one 
day, the lady of the house said to me : 

" If there is a God, the Jews should not believe in Him." 

"What do you mean?" I asked, " You, a Jewess, talk 
that way ? It is dreadful." 

" You would talk that way, too," she said, "if you had 
seen what I have seen." 

" What have you seen, then ? " I asked. 

" I have been right there in Russia, and have seen these 
Russian Christians' come into the houses of the Jews. 
They would come up to the third and perhaps the fourth 
stories. They would see mothers with the children at the 
breast. They would tear away the children from the 
mother's milk, dash the children to pieces, then take the 
mother by the neck, open the window wide, and hurl her 
headlong to the street and ground below, and there let her 
lie dying. And that is not all. It may be then you would 
see a crowd of these Christian people, headed by a minis- 
ter [a Greek Catholic priest], with a hymn-book in his 



23O JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

hand, singing Christian songs, thanking God in the name 
of Jesus that more Jews were being killed, and more Jew- 
ish blood was being shed. With the crucifix in one hand, 
with this Christian song-book in the other, you would see 
this mob of Christians going among the dying and the 
dead, as they lay there bleeding and mangled, rejoicing in 
their Christian religion that more Jews were being killed. 
Do you wonder that the Jews hardly believe there is a 
God?" 

9. You can see, dear reader, what the Christian religion 
means to the Jews in Russia. While we were having this 
conversation, in the next room sat the mother-in-law of this 
woman, who had herself been in one of these massacres, 
and had fled for her life, but did not escape before she had 
received serious injury at the hands of the Russian mob. 
Brutality, barbarity, and massacre, — these are synonymous 
terms with the Jews in Russia for the Christian religion. 
Since they have seen the other kind .of Christianity, and 
since they have never learned of the true, is it to be won- 
dered at that the Jews feel as they do towards the blessed 
gospel of Jesus and towards these people who call them- 
selves Christian? 

10. One day while I was visiting with a prominent bus- 
iness man in one of the cities of Nevada, he seemed aston- 
ished to think that I, a Jew, could be a believer in this Jesus. 
He admitted that I was intelligent on the Bible, and under- 
stood the customs of our people ; but he could not seem to 
understand how I could be an honest man and yet be a 
Christian. Said he : 

" Why will you talk to me about the Christian religion ? 



AROUSING THE CHRISTIAN PEOPLE 23 I 

Have we not our own history of what was done to our peo- 
ple in Spain ? Do you not know what the Christians did 
to the Jews during the days of the Inquisition ? And do 
you not know that the Pope, one of the best of Christians, 
was largely the cause of that ? This is the history which 
our people have handed down to us, and do you wonder 
that we Jews cannot have anything to do with this religion 
of Jesus ? " ' 

11. I then said to the man : 

" But, my friend, the people in Spain who did that were 
not Christians. They knew nothing of the Christian re- 
ligion. If they had, they never would have acted that 
way. Have you never read where Christ told the people 
to love even their enemies ? 2 How could such people be 
Christians and then massacre the very brethren of the Mes- 
siah?" 

- "But," he said, "you know they claim to be Christians. 
They call themselves Christians. In those days a person 
never did a thing but that he mentioned the name of 
Christ. All those persecutions against our people in Spain 
and in Morocco were done by those who called Christ their 
God, and who believed in Him. Why do you say, then, 
that they were not Christian .people ? ' ' 

12. And, my friends, there are tens of thousands of 
Jews in this land and in other civilized lands, who firmly 
and fully believe that % such conduct is not only part of the 
Christian religion, but one of the fundamentals of the be- 
lief of those who claim to be followers of the meek and 

2 Matt. 5 : 44. 



232 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

lowly Nazarene.(^) That is why many Jews who have 
even read some of the New Testament, act so surprised 
when they find such beautiful teachings in that blessed 
book, which are contradicted by the very persons who 
claim to follow it and to live by its teachings. 

13. One of the greatest efforts, therefore, I" found it 
necessary to put forth in this educational campaign, was to 
inform the people as to what constitutes the Christian re- 
ligion in the mind of the Jew, and to educate the people to 
see how they may show the Jew what the real Christian re- 
ligion is. Many have been the confessions made by people 
of their ignorance of the situation, and to many the whole 
question has been a revelation. The professed people of 
God have been so ignorant of the real situation that thou- 
sands have concluded that the conduct of the Jew was alone 
due to hatefulness and stubbornness on his part, (e) 

14. It is true that the children of Israel are as sheep 
without a Shepherd. 3 It is true that they have been away 
from God because they have rejected their own Messiah. 
It is true that the sentence of disaster which the fathers 
pronounced at the trial of Christ has been hanging over 
the heads of their posterity for nearly two thousand years. 4 
It is true that millions of their children have had a bitter 
cup to drink, which the forefathers filled up for them. 
Nevertheless, I am sure that, in the great day of God, 
there will be many a chapter in that heavenly record which 
will show that torrents of Jewish blood have been shed by 
those who styled themselves followers of Jesus of Nazareth. 

3 xMatt. 9 : 30. 'Matt. 27 : 25. 




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AROUSING THE CHRISTIAN PEOPLE 233 

15. It was indeed refreshing to find everywhere I went 
so many persons who wished to hear the story of how to 
lessen this prejudice, how to come near to the Jews, and 
how to give to the Jewish people some fragments of the 
bread of life which their ancestors have given to the Gen- 
tile world. I found the people, not only ready with their 
interest and with their sympathy, but glad and happy to do 
something in a material and practical way ^ and this gave 
me much courage and assurance that the Holy Spirit was 
about to bring better days to the lost sheep, and to arouse 
an interest in their behalf among the children of God. 

16. Another interesting thing I found in this campaign : 
At" many of these large gatherings, especially in the prin- 
cipal cities and at camp-meetings, Jews would come out to 
the services. It seemed a puzzle to many of them how a 
Jew could be a Christian. It is a common belief among 
the Jews that when a Jew is born thus, he cannot leave the 
religion in which he was born. Once a Jew, always a Jew, 
is the motto. So there were times when they would come 
out to hear, and occasionally they would even disbelieve 
that I was a Jew. 

17. I well remember visiting a camp-meeting in the 
State of Wisconsin. It had been advertised that there was 
to be a lecture given on the Jewish Passover. I generally 
give this service in the same way in which the Jews ob- 
serve it at the present time in the spring of the year. The 
object is twofold : First, it makes plain many things in the 
Bible which to many Bible readers seem obscure ; second, 
it arouses an interest in the word of God among both the 
Jews and the Gentiles. Special invitations had been given to 



234 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

the Jews of the city to attend, and the whole Jewish section 
turned out to hear the word of God. When they entered 
the tent, they told the usher that the speaker was not a 
Jew ; he did not look like a Jew, and he could not tell 
them anything about this feast as the Jews knew it. 

1 8. When the service was over, several of the Jews 
went to the same man, and remarked : 

" That man is a Jew all right ; he knows all about the 
Jewish religion. He understands the Jewish people." 

As a result, it gave a good opportunity to meet some of 
the Jewish people, and there were those who were free and 
frank to admit that there must be something in the Bible 
about this Jesus, if it could be made so plain from the serv- 
ice of the Passover . 

19. At another time, while attending a camp-meeting in 
the State of Pennsylvania, I went to a city where there 
was a factory employing nothing but Jewish help. Special 
invitations were given to the Jews to attend, and most of 
them improved the opportunity, and came, It was inter- 
esting to see scores of Jews present with Gentile friends, 
listening to the great prophecies of the Bible, and to the 
wonderful truths portrayed in the Old Testament. It 
was surprising to see whole families come to the cotton 
church, and sit for an hour or more to hear the word of 
God concerning Jesus, as portrayed in the law, and in the 
Psalms, and in the prophets. Many of the Jews stayed and 
asked questions, and some of them admitted that they saw 
the religion of Jesus in a new and different light. 

20. Even though the Jew is not so persecuted in this 
land, the Old Testament is not generally taught by Chris- 



AROUSING THE CHRISTIAN PEOPLE 235 

tian people. When the Jew hears the word of God taught 
from the Old Testament by Christian people, and can be 
shown from the T'nach that Jesus is the Messiah, that 
there are prophecies being fulfilled at the present time 
from the Old Testament, and accepted by the Gentile 
Christians, it certainly arouses both his interest and his at- 
tention. 

2 1 . There were hundreds of Jews who came to hear at 
different places, and I believe that in the kingdom of God 
there will be souls saved who first heard the message of 
salvation at some of these services. Many Jews them- 
selves would come and ask for literature, and in some cases 
I have known those who have accepted the Saviour, and 
are on the way to the kingdom of God. 

22. But what encouraged me most was to sed the change 
of sentiment on the part. of God's people towards the Jew. 
Thousands were awakened as out of sleep, and many came 
to learn that there was a work which must be done for the 
Jews, and that there was a way to do this work. It grew 
more and more evident that the Holy Spirit was awaken- 
ing the hearts of the . children of God to see the need of 
coming closer to the Jew, in order to show him Jesus from 
his own Bible, to condemn the course of conduct of those 
who professed to call themselves Christians, and at the 
same time to give to the Jew the word of God as known in 
the whole Bible. 

23. Millions of pages of literature were distributed dur- 
ing this campaign, many hearts were led to Christ, even 
among the Gentiles, and a new experience dawned for the 
work among the lost sheep of the house of Israel. I was 



236 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

grateful to God and to His people for this open door, and 
for this privilege of awakening a little interest in behalf of 
my brethren, in order that they might hear the gospel 
warning and prepare for the return of their own Messiah 
and Saviour, Jesus. 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 

Paragraph 3 (a). — The reader will remember that the work for the Jews 
cannot be conducted along the same lines as work done for the Gen- 
tiles. When the apostles went to the Jews to preach the gospel t > 
them, instead of taking a text from the Scripture and commenting 
vpon that, they rehearsed the dealings of God with their ancestors ; 
and after a time, the apostles would show how all these lessons were 
but a means of leading them to Jesus. See Acts 7, and Acts 13 See 
also Acts 17 : 1-3. 

Par. 5 (b). — The first number cf the Good Tidings of the Messiah was 
issued in Sep ember, 190G. It is a monthly magazine app aring ten 
times a year, and its subscription price is twenty-five cents a year. 
All orders may be sent to Good Tidings, Concord, Mass. 

Par. 7 (c) — The Jewish Year Book, 1010-11, under the subject of " Im- 
migration," says : " The total Jewish immigration to the United 
States, through the three principal ports of entry, New York, Phila- 
delphia, and Baltimore, from 1881 to June 30, 1910, is stated to have 
been 1,473,167. ' 

But the reader should bear in mind that many thousands of J ws 
have entered this country through the port of Boston, and many have 
come to this land by way of Canada. At the present writing there is 
a movement on foot t ) bring tens of thousands of Jews to this coun- 
try by way of Galveston, Texas, to distribute the sons of Abraham 
all through the South. Before many years pass, there will be many 
millions of Jews in this country. We believe it is God s opportunity 
to give these people the pure gospel, this country being a land of 
much more freedom and liberty than they are accustomed to enjoy in 
Russia and other European countries. 



AROUSING THE CHRISTIAN PEOPLE 237 

Par. 12 {d). — Only a short time ago, a highly talented and educated man, 
Jacob A. Schiff, one of the greatest financiers of America, said in an 
address in New York : "The time is not yet come for a common re- 
ligious platform upon which Jew and Gentile can stand. The distant 
future may bring even this. I pray fcr it. But so long as Christianity 
means to a large number of our coreligionists oppression and preju- 
dice, if not persecution, the kingdom of God has not yet arrived on 
earth, nor has the brotherhood of man become an actuality." 

Par. 13 (i'). — Here is pa r t of a letter the writer received from a Jew who 
had learned that Christian work was being carried on among his Jew- 
ish brethren : 

"Mr. F. C. Gilbert, 

Publisher of Good Tidings of the Messiah. 

"Dear Sir: — 

" A day or two ago I was given a copy of your paper. I 
got very much interested in it. I am very much surprised to see the 
work you are doing among the Jews to get them to go over on your 
side. [ This is the way the ordinary Jew states the idea of conver- 
sion.} May be it is the right side. -I do not know. I am not edu- 
cated enough to say. . But the reason I write this letter is that I do 
not think that you are trying the right way to get the Jews to go over 
on your side. '■■■-.■ 

" Now it looks, .to me that you Christians in getting Jewish people to 
believe in Christ, should at first try to get the Christian people . . » 
to like Jews. How can a right-thinking Jew entertain any thought of 
believing in Christ, when he can see the army of Christ persecuting 

;'"•••' the -Jews ?'".-- ..'.'. '-.'. '■'■-' ... " : . ,'.: 

" Most of the Christian -people think that there is not an honest 
. . Jew to be found ; and if a Jew becomes a Christian, do you think '■hat 
Christians like him ?" Do 'you not think that they hate him just as 
much as before ? ... ... 

" Wor.k among the -Christians. Teach them to love the Jews* and 
to practice the word of God — to do unto others as you would like 
others to do unto you. You cannot win one's good will by abusing 
him. ~ " •• •-. ........ 

- .'V • ^Y-ou.mayJ if you wish, send me. this paper every jyioihth.-, .^'.7 

" Respectfully yours. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



INTERESTING EXPERIENCES IN WORKING AMONG 

THE JEWS. 

1. In beginning the mission work, we felt that we should 
follow the methods laid down by the Saviour as far as pos- 
sible. The work of Jesus on earth was among the Jews, 1 
and the reader should bear in mind that . the conditions 
which existed among the Jews in the time of Christ are 
identical with those of the present day. The writer well 
remembers an interesting conversation had with a very de- 
voted Christian who attended a service held for the Jews. 
He said : 

u Do you know, Brother Gilbert, if I were an unbeliever 
in God or in the Bible, attending one such meeting as I 
have attended to-day among the Jews, would convince me 
that the Bible is the word of God, and what it says about 
Jesus is true?" 

" Why ? " I asked him. 

" Because," said he, "the very same things were done to- 
day by the people in this meeting that we read were done 
by the Jews when Christ was on earth. It seemed to me 
that I could just see the New Testament lived right out all 
over again, and it certainly was wonderful. It is very con- 
vincing to my mind.'* 

2. We decided, therefore, to carry on various lines of 
work. Preaching the gospel, teaching the people individu- 

(238) «Mat*. 10:5, 6; 15; ID. 



INTERESTING EXPERIENCES AMONG THE JEWS 239 

ally, attending to the sick, and caring for the lambs of the 
fold. 2 We were aware that it meant much to launch these 
different branches of the work, but we felt that this was the 
way laid down in the word of God. We knew the Jews 
would oppose us and oppose the work, but we felt that un- 
der God we must do all that we> could to bring the light of 
God to these souls. And for two and a half years we had 
some very stirring experiences. 

3. When we first began to labor among them, they 
thought we were of the same class of Christians as those in 
Russia ; and they felt that in the nature of things they 
would have to oppose us. At first very few would come to 
the meetings, and they did all they could to hinder others 
from coming. The reader would be interested to learn how 
a mission for Jews has to be conducted ordinarily. If the 
mission has a large shop-window, or any window that a per- 
son can look into from the street, every such avenue of 
light has to be covered to the outside people. The reason 
is that if a Jew ever should enter therein, no other Jew must 
see him go there, or know that he has entered. Should 
the Jews know this, the man would be marked at once, and 
would be considered a believer in Jesus. At times we have 
seen a Jew come to the mission building and first look at 
the place. After reading the Hebrew motto on the window 
and doors, he would pace to and fro in front of the building 
for a number of seconds, and while doing this he would be 
looking all around to see if there were any Jews seeing or 
watching him enter. When he feels that he is safe from 

2 Matt. 10 : 7, 8 ; John 21 : 15, 17. 



24O JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

detection, he will hastily grasp the handle of the door, and 
rush into the mission as though some one were chasing him 
Should he see an acquaintance of his own in the mission, 
he would still feel secure ; for if the other man should tell 
on him he could retaliate. If the reader could attend such 
meetings as these, he would the better understand what is 
meant by the people's being afraid that they might be cast 
out of the synagogue. 3 

4. In choosing a mission to preach to the Jews, the entrance 
to the building must be on the ground floor. Should there 
be only a few steps to enter into the building, there would 
but few orthodox Jews enter. They would fear that in go- 
ing up these steps they would be seen by fellow Jews, and 
thus they would expose themselves to their brethren. Then 
the results might be disastrous. In a community where a 
mission has long been established, and the Jews have be- 
come accustomed to listen to the gospel, and their severe 
prejudices have been melted somewhat, it is different. 

5. One of the first things we had to contend with was 
persecution. The Jews would ridicule and scoff, and would 
be very hard on the speaker and against all the workers. 
Of course we expected such a procedure, but we felt that 
we must by the grace of God bear all this patiently till they 
became acquainted with us. Gradually the Jews began to 
attend, and at times we had very interesting audiences. But 
we felt that in order to get closer to the Jews and to help 
remove their prejudices and to have more of them attend 
the services, we must go right into their Ghettos. We knew 

3 John 9 : 22. 



INTERESTING EXPERIENCES AMONG THE JEWS 24 I 



that it was a dangerous proposition, but we felt that what- 
ever the cost, and whatever the risk, we must make Jesus 
known to our brethren. 

6. We well remember the first meetings we held. We 
sought the Lord most earnestly for His care and protection, 
and the angels of God were surely in our midst. There 
were times when it seemed as though we could not get away 




HOLDING AN OPEN AIR SERVICE. 

from the crowd alive, but God wonderfully protected us. 
We preached to them the gospel of the Messiah as it is in 
Jesus ; and of course this aroused their bitter prejudice. 
They would shout, they would yell, they would be very 
boisterous, and at times you could hear the noise and dem- 
onstrations for blocks away. At times there would be two 
and three policemen present, but all to no avail. They 
would seem to be taken away with a frenzy, and often you 

could hear them shout : 
16 



242 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

" Burn him up, that M-shoo-mcd, apostate, don't let him 
live ; away with him ; he is not fit to be on the earth ; kill 
him, destroy him, don't let him get away." 4 

7. I well remember one occasion : While I was preaching 
to an audience of about eight hundred Jews and Jewesses 
on the street, a terrible uproar was started. There were 
several policemen present, and we were talking and singing 
to the people. Soon a demonstration began, and the baser 
sort, the rabble, set up a howling and a yelling. The noise 
and the cries were deafening. It was a dangerous situation. 
A number of the people attempted to throw me from the 
box upon which I was speaking. They threw missiles, dirt, 
and debris ; and it looked very forbidding. We attempted 
to sing down the noise, but to no avail. There were some 
there who were determined to take our lives, and the police- 
men were helpless. I feared somewhat for the workers, 
but I knew the blessed Christ would stand by us. We fi- 
nally closed the service and left. There were about three 
hundred of the people who followed us to the mission build- 
ing, and for nearly half an hour they stood there in groups 
discussing what they had heard. We were grateful to God 
that we had come out of the fracas alive, and were gladder 
still that they had heard something of the word of God. 

8. At another time we were holding an outdoor meeting, 
and the Jews were very bitter. They would listen quite 
interestedly at times, until we would come to the name of 
Jesus. Then it was that they would set up this horrible 
shouting. They would make some very unkind remarks, 

"Acts 22 ; 22. 



INTERESTING EXPERIENCES AMONG THE JEWS 243 

and largely because they had known from their experiences 
in Russia and Poland and Roumania what those people who 
were called Christians did to them. Of course the rabbis 
have taught the Jews some terrible things about the 
Saviour, and so they felt that they had to do something to 
show their disapproval. 

9. However, there were many present who wished to 
hear, and they were much agitated hecause of such con- 
duct on the part of their brethren. I saw that there was 
a strong division among the Jews, and concluded it would 
be a good time to take advantage of the situation, and use 
it for the advancement of the truth of God. I then said to 
them : 

10. " Brethren, think of the horrible cruelties which are 
carried on against our brethren in Russia. When we re- 
member how our brethren there are abused and persecuted, 
we feel terribly over it. We say it is a shame for the 
Russian people to act that way against our brethren who 
are harmless and law-abiding. But, brethren, if the Gen- 
tiles here in Boston see us Jews acting in this way when a 
man is preaching to them the word of God, in a city which 
is free to every one to express his views concerning the 
word of God as he wishes, do you not see that they will 
conclude that there may be occasion for the Russian peo- 
ple to act so cruelly to our brethren. They may easily 
say that the Jews are a people who disturb the peace. 
Having witnessed conduct of this character, they will al- 
most have the right to say that the Jews are a people who 
create disturbances, and thus we give the Gentiles' a 
measure of reason fdr thinking- that the cruelties and per 1 . 



244 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

secutions in Russia are not so bad as they have supposed. 

11. " Our Jewish people are respectable, they are an 
honorable people, and are law-abiding ; therefore we do not 
want to act in this manner before these Gentile people, 
and give them a wrong impression of our brethren." 

12. This appeal had a very strong effect on the Jews, 
and they at once quieted down, and did all in their power 
to quiet those who wished to make a disturbance. For 
nearly thirty minutes we had an interested audience listen- 
ing to the gospel of Jesus as revealed in Moses and the 
prophets. 

13. At times there were those who came to the meetings 
intending to do us bodily harm, and if the Lord had not di- 
rectly overruled, we know not what might have occurred. 
Still we have seen the Holy Spirit work so mightily upon 
the hearts of the, people, that some of these very men 
would become our strongest defenders. They learned 
soon that the work we were doing for them was not of the 
character which had been done in Russia, and therefore 
they decided we'were their friends, not their foes. 

... 14J At one of these outdoor services there was present 
a strong, burly man, who continually kept interrupting 
while we were preaching, and finally became so enraged 
that he started to do me bodily harm. His arms were 
flying in the air, and my heart was praying that the Lord 
woujd preserve me from danger. He was determined I 
should cease to preach about this Jesus, and I distinctly 
gave him tD understand that I intended to preach Jesus 
Christ as the Messiah, the crucified and risen One! We 
Succeeded in, finishing one service t withoiit any serious 



INTERESTING EXPERIENCES AMONG THE JEWS 245 

danger, and he was present at the next service. He still 
seemed dangerous, but we felt that in his heart he believed 
some of the things which were spoken. He came the 
third time, and during this service he acted like another 
man. Then he came into the mission, and gave the 
closest attention. The Spirit of God had found its way into 
his heart, and he appeared to be a different person. 

15. At an outdoor meeting one day, there were a num- 
ber of persons present who caused an uproar, and it 
seemed as though we should receive bodily injury. The 
stones and sticks, the cuffs and kicks were being freely 
used, and only the blessed Saviour enabled us to get 
through it all alive. This man was present, but he took 
no part in the demonstration. At the close of the meeting, 
as a large number of persons were following us, he came 
to me and said, 

" Mister, these Jews will not hurt you. Thev know 
what you teach is true. Do not be afraid of them, you 
will come out of it all right." 

I thought that was a wonderful testimony, and it gave 
me much courage and hope to continue in the good work, 
for it means that the Spirit of God was able to take the 
blessed word, and cut right into the very hearts of the 
people, and make them soft and tender by taking away the 
hardness and blindness of their souls. Many a time have 
I met this same man, and this strong, burly friend has re- 
peatedly said that he believed that all he had heard was 
true, and he only wished that he had the power and the 
faith to do right. The Spirit of God will not leave these 
souls till they shall intelligently take their stand. 



246 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

16. While I was conducting a service one day, a num- 
ber of Jews threw me from the box on which I was stand- 
ing. They had come to the service, as I learned after- 
wards, with the plan all arranged to inflict severe punish- 
ment upon me that day. They succeeded in throwing me 
to the ground, and some two hundred gathered close to me. 
My hat was thrown off, and all I could seem to see was a 
lot of feet close to my head, and a number of fists moving 
quite freely. I was helpless, and did not know what to do. 
It looked as though my head would be bruised, and there 
was no way of escape. 

17. Suddenly there seemed to be an easing up, and soon 
I was set free, and on the box again preaching the blessed 
Christ. I came out of that all safe, and learned afterward 
that some one of the mob who was planning to land his 
blows on me, attacked the wrong person, and hurt him very 
seriously. I was accused of being the cause of the man's 
getting hurt, which of course was not so. But the dear 
Lord gave us a wonderful deliverance at that time, and be- 
fore we, left the meeting, we had the privilege of bearing 
testimony to the wonderful salvation of the blessed Messiah. 

18. In addition to the services in the mission and out- 
doors, we distributed much literature in other cities and 
towns, with the result that we found the work was spread- 
ing, and thousands of Jews were becoming acquainted with 
the truth of the gospel. When the Jews came to the serv- 
ices, they would then go to their homes and to their friends 
and tell them what they had heard and learned. As a re- 
sult others would come, and thus the work was broadening, 
and many lost sheep were hearing about the Messiah. 



INTERESTING EXPERIENCES AMONG THE JEWS 247 




moses and christ, representing the law and the 

gospel! 



248 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

19. In our teaching them we would always impress this 
fact upon them : That the Messiah had come, this Messiah 
was Jesus of Nazareth, and that He was soon coming again. 
He did not come to destroy the law, but He fulfilled it all, 
and told His followers to do the same. If we could only 
get their ears long enough to listen to part of the gospel, 
we felt sure that they would hear all the way through. (a) 

20. Some of the evenings of the week were given over 
to question meetings, and the questions they would ask 
would certainly puzzle a»lawyer or philosopher. We were 
glad that we had the promise of the Holy Spirit to help us 
out, and there never was a time when any question arose 
but that the blessed Lord would always help us so that we 
could show them frcm Moses and the prophets that all the 
words of God were fulfilled in Jesus. We here give an 
illustration or two of some of their questions : 

Jew. — " Mr. Missionary, you say you believe the word 
of God, the T'nach ; do you?" 
Speaker. — "Yes, I do." 

_/. — " Well, I should like to ask you this question " 

5. — "What is the question ? " 

J. — " You say that God has a Son. This Jesus that you 
preach about is God's Son. How can God have a Son ? " 

5. — " Do you believe, my Jewish brother, the word of 
God, the T'nach?" 

J. — " Yes, the T'nach, and the T'nach only. You know 
we Jews do not believe in the New Testament." 

5. — " Yes, I mean the Old Testament. Did you ever 
read the second psalm, and the seventh verse ? Did you 
ever read Proverbs 30 : 4 ? What do you make out of these 



INTERESTING EXPERIENCES AMONG THE JEWS 249 

texts ? Here it plainly says that God has a Son. Do you 
believe the Bible ? If you do, you see that God must have 
a Son." 

2 1 . And the Jew is surprised and puzzled, and sits down 
very quietly and meekly. Though he often is convinced 
against his will, he may be of the same opinion still, 
but his question is answered. While his question is being 
answered, there may be six or a dozen persons preparing 
other questions ; and many a night it has been eleven and 
twelve o'clock before we could leave the mission, and they 
would stay even later if we allowed them to remain, asking 
and answering questions. It was very hard and tiresome 
labor, and at times it seemed all wasted ; but occasionally 
we would hear some words dropped or see some things 
done that would indicate that the Spirit of God was work- 
ing upon the hearts of the Jews, and they were thinking 
seriously about what they had heard. 

22. We had one Jew, especially, who was very trouble- 
some to us in the mission. He would never miss a meet- 
ing, and he seemed to be a thorn in the flesh. He was al- 
ways ready to ask questions, and every chance he had he 
seemed to take delight in breaking up the services if pos- 
sible. Finally one day he came to me and said : 

" Mr. Gilbert, do you wish to know why I come to these 
meetings, and why I am so regular ? I love to hear you 
talk about the law. It is such good instruction, and it 
really does my heart good. I do not mean to make a dis- 
turbance, but you know it is sometimes hard to listen to 
this Jesus. But I love to hear the law, for you know we 
think Moses was such a great man You just keep right 



25O JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

on teaching the word of God, and you are doing a lot of 
good " 

23. We took the opportunity to open up more to him 
why we taught Moses, it was only to show that Moses wrote 
much of Jesus. But it was an encouragment to me that 
the word of God was making an impression upon the hearts 
of some of the people, and some time the dear Lord would 
bring results, when He saw fit. Since we have moved the 
mission from that section of the city, the man has met me 
many times, and he repeatedly asks that more services be 
held there, as there are many Jews who wish to come and 
hear ; and if the meetings were continued again they would 
behave differently. 

24. We had some very interesting times with the little 
folk. We felt that we must have the lambs of the fold 
hear the story, and if we could only succeed in getting them 
to come, we felt sure, with the blessing of the Lord, that 
some good would be accomplished. The Lord gave us 
some consecrated Christians who were willing to work for 
the children, and who had great patience with them. Then 
there were other good sisters who volunteered part of their 
time, and in this way we had a good working force for the 
lambs of the fold. It should be remembered that the chil- 
dren are taught early in life that this Jesus was a bad man, 
as far as the effect that He had and His name upon the 
Jewish people. So in taking up the work with them, we 
instructed the teachers that while we would conduct with 
them a sewing school, we would at the same time sow the 
seed of truth. 

25. Adjoining the rear of the mission was a large public- 



INTERESTING EXPERIENCES AMONG THE JEWS 25 1 

school building, and at this school there were in attendance 
about fourteen hundred Jewish children. This gave us a 
splendid mission field, and we tried to improve the oppor- 
tunity. The first meeting that was held with them, we 
gathered in between fifty and sixty. We opened the meet- 
ing with a song, and the strangest sight imaginable met the 
gaze of our workers. As soon as we expressed in the hymn 
the word, Jesus, the children, simultaneously, as though 
done by magic, placed their fingers in their ears, and re- 
fused either to sing or to listen. Some of them began to 
hiss, and some of them decided not to stay. They were 
shocked, they were horrified, and some were ready even to 
weep and to run home. The teachers were puzzled and 
perplexed. But we kept on singing ; and, after a little, the 
children would gradually withdraw their fingers from their 
ears and listen. When they recognized that the word Jesus 
was not being expressed, they would keep their fingers out 
till we came to that word, and again that performance was 
gone through with. This was rather amusing to the in- 
structors, as well as puzzling. But we decided to stay 
right by the work, and with the grace of God overcome it. 
We had a season of prayer, but of course the Jews never 
kneel in prayer. This seemed almost blasphemy to the 
children. It was a terrible thing to be in a place where a 
Jew was kneeling in prayer, and using Jewish words with- 
out wearing any hat. 

26. At first there seemed to be quite a commotion, but 
we continued our service, as we knew that sooner or later 
a change would come. If we started right, we felt that 
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INTERESTING EXPERIENCES AMONG THE JEWS 253 

that we were doing the right and proper thing, and soon we 
should find out who really wished to come, and who did not 
care to be with us. 

27. After coming a few times, the children apparently- 
changed, and became dearly attached to their teachers. 
They then not only wanted to come to the sewing school, 
but wished to be at the mission most of the time when they 
were not attending school. We could see such a difference 
in some of the little folks, for now many of them were be- 
ginning to enjoy the gospel songs. Some of the songs that 
they especially enjoyed were, " Oh There'll be Joy When 
the Work is Done ; " " What a Friend We Have in Jesus ; " 
" I Love to Tell the Story ; " "I have Found a Friend in 

"Jesus, V etc. 

28. We began this work for the children in April, 1906. 
In the month of June, that same year, through the kind- 

Tiess of the management of the New England Sanitarium, 

^a.t Melrose, Mass., we were privileged to take the children 

„to the sanitarium grounds for an outing. We might add 

'.that the sanitarium friends were very kind and helpful to 

-us in our work when we started our efforts at the mission. 

-For nearly two and a half years they sent us a nurse every 

month, and at times furnished us other medical assistance. 

Through their aid and ministrations, many poor, sick Jews 

-were helped and blessed. We also had the free use of one 

or more of their physicians at any time we needed, when 

they^CDuto^'be'feiieved"" from the duties of the" 'institution": 

We appreciated very much their kindness and generosity, 

and they manifested on several occasions a very helpful 

and kind spirit toward this work for the Jews. Several of 



254 



JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 




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INTERESTING EXPERIENCES AMONG THE JEWS 255 




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256 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

the Jewish young men who made a start in the Christian 
life were employed at the institution, and we always found 
the management there very kind, and willing to lend a help- 
ing hand to the poor Jews. May the rich blessing of the 
Lord attend them for their kindness to the brethren of 
Jesus. They will surely be rewarded in the final reckoning. 

29. A special car was chartered to carry the children and 
the teachers, and about sixty in all went to the day's out- 
irig. It was decided by the children that we should have 
some singing during the trolley ride. In order to reach 
our destination, we were obliged to pass several of the Jew- 
ish Ghettos, and you would have been much interested to 
hear these little Jewish children, who only a few months 
before were disgusted at the very name of the Saviour, 
now singing as loudly and as lustily as they were able 
(while hundreds of Jews were looking on) the beautiful 
songs of Zion, as interestedly and as earnestly as any 
Christian child could exalt the name of Jesus. It was pre- 
cious indeed to hear them sing through the Ghettos, 
"What a Friend We Have in Jesus," and when they came 
to the word Jesus it seemed so dear to many of them. 
Yes, God can work wonderful changes in the Jewish life, 
when the pure gospel is taught now as it was in the days 
when the Saviour and the apostles of Christ taught it in 
its purity. (b) 

30. We believe that the work for the children was not 
in vain, as we shall have occasion to mention some inter- 
esting experiences in the next chapter. They would come 
to the meetings in the mission ; they would go so far some- 
times, as to bring their friends and relatives, and they liked 




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INTERESTING EXPERIENCES AMONG THE JEWS 257 

to hear the word of God preached. There were some of 
the relatives who were bitter, and at times these persons 
would manifest their displeasure in a very marked way. 
This was because they were ignorant of what we were try- 
ing to do for these children. But though treated cruelly, 
the children seemed to get so much comfort coming to the 
mission, that they would not stay away. One case in par- 
ticular comes to mind. There was a girl of about fourteen, 
who was a regular attendant at the sewing school, and who 
would occasionally come to the meetings. Her life had 
been a very sad one, as her countenance indicated. She 
seemed like a very nice girl, and much enjoyed coming to 
the services. But her brother discovered that she was 
coming to the mission, and he planned to keep her away. 
He finally came to the mission one day to see if she were 
there. Not knowing the nature of his errand, the workers 
admitted him to talk with his sister. Finding her there, 
he chased her from her seat, hitting her as she was trying 
to get away from him, knocking her down, and hurting her 
badly. Not being content with this, he kicked her on the 
floor, and almost kicked her into the street. By the time 
the workers got to her, he had disappeared. In spite of all 
this, she would come to the mission when she could, and 
seemed very glad to know that there were people who really 
loved the Jewish children. 

31. We had some interesting experiences in visiting 
among the sick people. This was a very difficult part of 
the work, still it had its encouragements. Some things 
were most perplexing to our workers when they began to 

visit among the Jews, and one day one of the nurses came 
17 



258 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

to the home with a very strange tale, having had a peculiar 
experience. She called at a house, and inquired if there 
were any Jews in the house sick. The woman, an elderly 
matron, opened the door just wide enough to see who was 
there. She could not talk English very well, and so an- 
swered the nurse in a rather broken way. Upon inquiring 
why this caller asked a question of this character, she was 
informed that the girl was looking for sick Jewish people, 
peradventure she might be able to help and to relieve them. 
Several questions were asked and answered. The old lady 
finally asked the nurse : 

" Why do you wish to know if there are Jews sick ? Who 
are you and what do you want ? " 

The nurse then informed the woman very kindly that she 
was a Christian nurse, and wished to do something for the 
poor sick Jews. At that the old lady slammed the door, 
and said, 

" You get out of here ; I kick you down-stairs. You 
come spy us out here like they do in Russia. Go way 
from here." 

With that the woman dismissed the nurse and went into 
the house. 

"Why, Brother Gilbert," asked the girl, " what does this 
mean ? Is n't it strange for people to act this way ? Why 
did she do that ? I was very kind to her, and tried to help 
her, yet she talked to me in that way." 

32. I then explained to the nurse that in Russia these 
supposedly friendly Christians will sometimes find sick peo- 
ple among the Jews, some of whom perhaps have been bit- 
terly persecuted. They will bring them back to life only 



INTERESTING EXPERIENCES AMONG THE JEWS 259 

to act as inquisitors during their recovery, in order that 
these nurses or Christian friends may report to the police 
or to the authorities that they have learned that there are 
other Jews in hiding who were not massacred. Perhaps 
within twenty-four hours another massacre will take place, 
when the very persons who have been reported as in hiding 
will be among the dead. Thus the Jews have come to dis- 
trust Christian nurses, until they learn that there are peo- 
ple who are really friendly. 

33. Then again the Jews are afraid that if a nurse 
should come into their homes, and relieve them of their 
suffering, they might brand them with a cross ; for the 
Jews believe that the sign of the cross is everything to the 
Christian. In Russia the stores, the streets, and the 
market-places are covered with .crosses, and the professed 
Christians, the members of the Greek Catholic church, 
cross themselves whenever they find one of these crosses. 
This is another reason why the Jews are so suspicious of 
Christian nurses and Christian doctors, till they become 
acquainted with them. 

34. It is generally known and recognized that most of 
the persecutions in Russia are carried on by the govern- 
ment in connection with the church. There are times 
when, in the " Ghettos' of the Jews, there are Christian mer- 
chants who carry on business. The civil authorities do not 
wish to kill any of the loyal Russian subjects. Therefore, 
before any Of these massacres takes place, a warning is sent 
out "fey "the police authorities to' 'tell 5 the Christians (?) that 
on a certain day and at a certain hour they should put a 
srriall Cross In the shop window. They tell them no more ; 



260 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

for the Christians (?) have all the information they need. 
In the time of a horrible massacre the Christians, whose 
shops are right in the midst of the pillage and the plunder, 
are able to escape, while every Jewish shop is rummaged, 
and every Jewish store is ruined. This the Jews have 
learned by sad experience, and so they believe in a peculiar 
sense that the cross is an awful thing to them ; and they 
want nothing to do with people who believe in the cross, 
and carry it on their person. 

35. But the nurses persevered in their work, until they 
found their way into the hearts of many of the Jews. 
Many a time would the nurse hear : " Thank you, God bless 
you, you have helped me so much." "If it were not for 
you people at the mission, my child would have been dead." 

" You people have been better to us than our own Jewish 
people." 

" If you go to the Jewish Association to help you, they 
treat you as though you were dogs. But you people treat 
us kindly." 

" Come in. I am so glad to see you. It always makes 
me feel better when you come." 

" Oh, I do wish you would come to see me. Mrs. 

said you helped her so much." 

" The Christians are so much better than the Jews. 
The Jews would not do for us what you Christians have 
done." 

" Oh, God is good ; He sent you here ; your doctor did 
more for my child than had been done all through its ill- 
ness before." 

36. The work was not thrown away. Much prejudice 



INTERESTING EXPERIENCES AMONG THE JEWS 26 1 

was broken down ; many a door and many a heart, which 
had been stoutly barred, opened, and we saw a strong 
drawing towards the gospel, and a breaking up of the fal- 
low ground. We felt that some little good was being ac- 
complished, and much evil thought was being destroyed. 

37. What with preaching the gospel in the mission and 
outdoors, with the work for the children, with the treating 
of the sick, with the scattering of the literature, we were 
gaining assurance that a work of giving the gospel to the 
Jews had begun. True, much remained to be done, but 
we could see that the sentiment was changing both among 
the Jews and among the Gentiles. We visited many cities. 
We held open-air meetings, not only in Boston, but in other 
cities of New England. In every place we foimd bitter 
prejudice existing, but we knew that with the help of God 
this bitter feeling could and would be destroyed from the 
hearts of many, when they learned what the true gospel 
of the Lord Jesus is. 

38. On one occasion, while holding an outdoor service 
at New Haven, Connecticut, with some of the Christian 
young men of Yale University in attendance as helpers, 
we had a very narrow escape from receiving bodily injury. 
But the Lord worked for us. Before we left there were 
many people who followed us, asking us to come again and 
preach more to them. 

39. Thus we found that what was needed, is to preach 
and to teach the pure gospel of the Son of God which is 
able to save the Jewish heart as well as the Gentile soul, 
and to lead the poor wandering sheep of Israel back to 
their own Messiah, Jesus. The literature also played 



262 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

an interesting part in the work, and we distributed thou- 
sands of pages of tracts, and gave away hundreds of the 
New Testaments. The word of God will do its work, and 
the day must surely come when souls will take their stand 
for the truth of God. " 

EXPLANATORY NOTES. 

Paragraph 19 (a). — From a l->ng experience, I have concluded that one 
strong reason why the Jews will create such a demonstration and 
will make such terrible noises, is that they hope in this way to dis- 
courage the speaker from telling what he wishes to say, and at the 
same time they hope they will not hear the name of Jesus. It is 
this name that seems so abhorrent to them. They feel that so much 
hurt has been done to them through this name, they can scarcely hear 
the word expressed. 

Par. 29 (5). — The Jews have for centuries been taught that the Jewish 
people are expressed in the Bible as being God's son. There are 
many texts they use to prove this, but the most conspicuous one they 
refer to is Ex. 4 : 22, 23. They endeavor to prove from this that 
when God speaks concerning His Son, He means the Jewish people. 
They do not realize that the Lord used that people as an object- 
lesson, and that they were simply a means to an end. This will ex- 
plain why it is that they are so bitter when you tell them that Jesus 
is God's Son in a different sense from any other person who ever 
lived. 



CHAPTER XX. 



SOMES SEED EA^LING ON|GOOD GROUND. 

1 . We know from the Bible that they that sow in tears 
shall reap in joy. 1 The Saviour's labors here for the Jews 
were carried on with much prayer and with many tears. 
This was also true of the labors of the apostles. But while 
it took time, patience, and endurance on the part of the 
Lord Jesus and His fellow workers to carry on this work, 
there came a time when there was a harvest of souls among 
the Jews ; and these believers in turn became a power to 
bring others to Christ. 

2. You doubtless have wondered by this time whether 
any of this seed which has been planted among the Jews 
has borne any fruit ; whether there have been any or many 
who really and truly have taken their stand for Jesus and 
His truth ; how their conduct has been since they have 
taken the step, and whether they still are true and faithful. 
To answer these questions as fully as they should be an- 
swered, would demand more time and space than can be 
given in this brief narrative ; but they suggest this idea : 
That the reader should learn that to work for the Jews in 
bringing them to the Saviour, one must have different 
methods than when working for the Gentiles. 

3. Now the method of working for the Jews is given 
clearly in the Bible. The Saviour introduced the method 

(263) 
x Ps. 126; 5, 6. 



264 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

and this same method was followed by the disciples, and 
has to be employed at the present time. Luke 24 : 27, 44, 
45 ; Acts 7 : 2-5 ; 13 : 6-37. The Jew says, 

" I do not believe in Jesus. I am taught not to have 
anything to do with Him. My rabbis and my people have 
told me that there is nothing in our T'nach, the Bible, 
which says anything about Him in a kindly manner. His 
name is not even mentioned ; and why should I listen to 
anything about Him from that book the missionaries have 
made, the New Testament, to fit their views about Him ? "(<?) 

4. But when we speak to them of the experiences of 
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and open to their minds the 
dealings of God with the patriarchs, and call to mind the 
former days and former things, and from the Scrip- 
tures show them how God always dealt with their prede- 
cessors, there is a power and an interest which will take 
hold of the Jew, and it is indeed seldom that his attention 
cannot be arrested. These oracles charm him, they ap- 
peal to his heart, and he will give you an audience. By 
leading him along step by step, you are not only calling to 
mind the experiences of former days, not only opening to 
his understanding the Scriptures, but at the same time you 
are leading him along to see the real object and purpose of 
the word of God, the revelation of God's purpose concern- 
ing His Son Jesus, the Messiah and Saviour. 2 

5 . This at once accomplishes two things : First, we re 
fresh the minds of the Jews with what the word of God 
says which they have been taught from their youth ; sec- 

*Acts 7 : 13. 22 



SOME SEED FALLING ON GOOD GROUND 265 

ond, we are laying the foundation to show them that Jesus 
is their Messiah, and that this Jesus is the Christ. By 
taking such a course, the way is opened for us to lead them 
to see what is meant by the Scriptures of the prophets, 
and to lead them also to study these things for themselves. 3 

6. The Jews are not so easily convinced concerning the 
Christian religion as are the Gentiles. You cannot hold 
revival services with them as you can with the Gentiles. 
The Bible tells us that the Jew has a veil over his face, 
and therefore is blinded. 4 The last two thousand years 
has not added much light to his mind, since the Saviour 
has been rejected. Therefore the Jew in general has first 
to have his mind disabused of much that he has learned, 
and then his mind must be in the attitude of a disciple to 
learn of the things of God. 

7. It should be further borne in mind that since the 
first century, since the days when thousands of Jews ac- 
cepted the gospel, and they as a nation finally rejected it, 
so that the apostles and disciples went to the Gentiles, very 
little effort has been put forth for the Jews to bring them 
to Christ. 3 And as far as I have been able to learn, there 
never has been a Jewish Christian church or congregation 
organized among that people for nearly eighteen hundred 
years. There have been times when in some places Jews 
have professed to believe in Jesus. It is true that even 
at the present time there are Jews in different lands who 
make a profession of the gospel ; but there never has been 
any church or sect that has been successful in organizing a 

3 Acts 17: 11. 4 2 Cor. 3:14,15. s Acts 2: 41; 4:4; 21:20. 



266 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

permanent church wholly of Jewish Christians. Still we 
believe that the time is here when there will be scores, 
hundreds, if not thousands, of Jews who will yet take their 
stand for the blessed Saviour, and form part of the rem- 
nant of God's people who will be prepared to meet Him at 
His return. 

8. We are always caused to rejoice when we see the 
Jews make a beginning at breaking away from their Jewish 
traditions and prejudices ; one of the most hopeful signs we 
have that the truth is taking root, is when the Jews begin 
to lose faith in their rabbinical and talmudical traditions. 
If they can get rid of their bondage and their fear of the 
teachers and of the rabbinical sayings, then there is hope 
that they are becoming inclined towards the truth of the 
gospel. 

9. I well remember one experience along this line which 
will serve as an illustration. There was a girl of some 
twelve years with whom the workers became acquainted. 
She was a motherless child, with the responsibility of the 
care of a father, and five children younger than she. It 
was a pitiful case, and enlisted the interest and sympathy 
of all the workers when they learned the situation. The 
girl was invited to come to the mission, but she was 
afraid. Would not God be displeased with her if she 
should go to such a place ? Might not the Almighty pun- 
ish her with a terrible infliction, if she should go into such 
a bad place ? Had not her father told her that such a 
place is wicked and out of harmony with the views of the 
Jews ? Might not the missionaries take her and never let 
her come home again ? And then they might place a cross 



SOME SEED FALLING ON GOOD GROUND 



267 




BECKY, THE MOTHERLESS GIRL. 



268 JUDAISM T3 CHRISTIANITY 

on her arm, and perhaps brand her as a Christian. What 
a terrible thing this would be ! The God of Abraham 
might kill her in the midst of her attempting to go into the 
mission, and she would receive her punishment right then 
and there. 

io. But the girl thought that these missionaries were 
very kind. These ladies would come to visit her often, 
and would speak kind words to her. They would put 
their arms about her neck, and give her comfort, which the 
Jews never offered to give. Could they be such bad peo- 
ple ? she thought. Would it really be right to venture to 
go to the place where these people live, and would it be 
the proper thing to visit such a place ? It was a hard 
struggle, but Becky finally ventured. It was with fear and 
trembling. Every step of the way was trodden with a pe- 
culiar feeling of nervousness and dread. Any moment 
some terrible disaster might occur, and then what ? The 
place did not look to her as she thought it would. It did 
not have a lot ol bad crosses, and there were no trap-doors 
nor strange-looking people who were ready to do her some 
bodily harm. The angel of death was not present to 
grasp her at the first opportunity, and w really the mission 
looked like a very nice place, and the people there seemed 
like other kinds of people. 

1 1 . The workers began to tell her about the Bible, about 
God, about the blessings which God gives to His children. 
They told her about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all 
the good things of the Bible. They told her about the 
marvelous dealings of God with His people, and that He 
was still alive at the present time. They told her how 



SOME SEED FALLING ON GOOD GROUND 269 

God loved people, and how He showed it in such a kind 
way. But she did not expect that God loved her. The 
rabbis had told her that God loved only good people, 
and that people in order to be good must go to shool 
(synagogue), and da—ven (pray) much, and keep the feasts 
and the fasts. But she had to work so hard, and had so 
many things to do about the house, especially in the kitchen, 
that she did not have time to say prayers, and think much 
about God. So of course He did not care about her. 
Then again she was a girl, and the girls do not amount to 
much anyway. At the same time, while she was thus in- 
wardly soliloquizing, her eyes would be watching about the 
room to see if there was anything appearing of a suspicious 
character. It may be perhaps these misssonaries after all 
were just doing this for effect, that they might suddenly 
ensnare her in sOme way. Her fears had not wholly gpne 
by any means. Yet she listened. 

12. Yes, said the workers, the Lord loved her. He was 
good to her, and wanted to show her how much He loved 
her. So He sent His own Son, Jesus. Now the thought 
came to her, Would not God send a terrible thunderbolt 
from heaven upon her, and kill her at once ? She had 
heard the name of Jesus, and would God do something des- 
perate right away ? Poor soul ! You may never know, dear 
readers, the awful and dreadful agonies these poor Jews en- 
dure while they are passing through that stage of expe- 
rience in shaking off the fear and the bondage of rabbin- 
ism. The Jew who has been redeemed by the blessed 
Saviour knows full well the meaning of that text, "If the 
Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." 



27O JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

But the workers continued to unfold the story, and by de- 
grees a little light was let in. Then came more, and still 
more, until it seemed as though the girl were awaking as 
from a dream. Could this be the Jesus whom she had 
heard about ? Was this that bad Jesus who did her peo- 
ple so much harm ? Was this the Jesus who she had been 
told was such a strange and peculiar person ? But these 
ladies seemed like nice persons : they were doing her no 
hurt. They did not offer to put any cross on her arm, and 
they did not say anything that was bad or unkind. 

13. Finally, I was asked one evening to have a talk with 
her. Her fears were so removed that the mission came to 
be one of the few spots where she could run for a few min- 
utes after nine or ten o'clock at night, when the children 
were all in bed, and when her father or the Jews could not 
see her. It was dark, late at night, and she could run into 
the hallway quickly. Now she knew that God would not 
hurt her, as the rabbis had told/ her, because the mission- 
aries had really proved to her that He loved her, and gave 
Jesus to die for her. So now she would come for her even- 
ing meal, where her hungry heart could be fed. 

14. This evening I began to talk to her about the New 
Earth ;• why there was to be a New Earth, what it cost 
God and Jesus to buy back this world ; why Jesus died for 
us, and why He endured all that He did that we might 
gain this home in the earth made new. 

"Mr. Gilbert," she would ask, •■" is that a real place? 
Do you think I could go- there some time ? Would they 
have- such people as I am- there ? Would Jesus- let me go 
to 'such- a place? • How nice it would be- if I did -not have 



SOME SEED FALLING ON GOOD GROUND 27 1 

to work so hard, and be tired all the time. And all those 
beautiful things, could I enjoy those things as well ?" 

1 5 . That girl fairly feasted on the things of God as we 
opened to her mind these beautiful truths, and I felt that 
the pleasure and satisfaction she received that evening 
was worth all the labors of one lifetime. Afraid now of 
the rabbinical ideas ? Never ; what did she care now for 
these rabbis and Jews ? True, she feared that her father 
might find out she had been to the mission, or perhaps 
some of the other members of the family might learn about 
it ; but she was getting her eyes open to see the truth, and 
her heart was being fed with the bread of eternal life. The 
holidays did not seem to her as they used to ; the things 
Jewish did not have the effect that they used to have ; she 
was learning the things of the kingdom of heaven, and how 
different these teachings were from the slavishness of the 
rabbis ! 

16. Her little Testament she would have to hide under 
her bed or in the bedding. She would have to pray while 
the children were at school or when she had a few minutes 
by herself. A visit from one of the workers would be like 
a visit from a queen or a princess. Bless God, the seed was 
taking root, and Becky, now almost eighteen, is anxiously 
waiting for the time when she can take her stand pub- 
licly for Jesus, and show her colors to the world. But 
is this all ? Nay, verily, every girl now with whom she 
comes in contact must know about the mission, must know 
about Jesus. They must all hear something about these 
great things which she has learned. They too must know 
that it is not Christians who persecute the Jews. It is 



272 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

not the religion of Jesus that persecutes our people in Rus- 
sia, Rome, Roumania, and in other places. It is not the 
Christian who says, " Sheeny, Jew, Christ-killer." The 
real Christian loves the Jew, — because she had found out 
for herself that all these things were true. Thank God, 
the seed was falling on good ground. It was bringing 
forth fruit to the glory of God, even though it was in the 
bud and in the blossom. But it was surely bringing forth 
good fruit. 

17. This case is but one of scores of interesting cases 
which might be recited, and it goes to show that though 
the time may be long, though the labors may be arduous, 
though the efforts may be strenuous, the seed is falling on 
good ground, and the day will come when there will be a 
large harvest. It should be remembered that the Jews 
move in bunches. The Jews came out of Egypt as a peo- 
ple. They were known as the " people of God." They 
were always talked to as a people. They lived together as 
a people. They were as a people in the wilderness, in Ju- 
dea, and went as a people into the dispersion. When they 
were liberated from Babylon, they came out together by 
the thousands, and for centuries lived in Palestine as a peo- 
ple. 

18. After Christ came among them to teach, they lis- 
tened to what He had to say, and thousands of them really 
believed in their heart, but they were afraid of the people, 
of one another. Should they individually acknowledge 
Him as the Messiah, they would be put out of the syna- 
gogue. That would mean ostracism, that would mean the 
loss of employment, the loss of a livelihood, or starvation 



SOME SEED FALLING ON GOOD GROUND 273 

and death. If there were only others who would believe, 
there would be communion and fellowship. Then there 
would be sympathy and cooperation. There would then 
Be no need of being so fearful and dependent. But to 
stand alone, and to believe alone, and to act alone, this was 
not the Jewish way ; this was against the idea of the 
rabbis, and against the idea of all their teaching for ages. 

19. However, occasionally one did follow Jesus. One 
or two would identify themselves with the cause of the 
Master. One or two would take courage and believe any 
how. But when Pentecost came, when the Holy Spirit 
came in power, then there were thousands who believed. 
One's taking his stand gave the other courage. They were 
now proceeding in bunches. There were thousands who 
believed, and the idea was still in existence that they were 
yet a people. They could be Christians together. Many 
could believe, and not one have to be alone in the belief. 
Jerusalem now might have thousands and thousands of 
Jews who believed in Christ. Then there would be no fear 
of the rabbis. They need not care what the rabbis might 
say, or what they might do. There were others who be- 
lieved in this same Jesus, and then if there were many cast 
out, they would help one another. This is the prevailing 
idea of the Jew.(^) 

20. This is what we believe will yet take place ere the 

work of God is done in this world. We shall yet see this 

history repeated, we believe, and we are sure the word of 

God substantiates this. At the same time there is one 

here and one there who does take his stand. There is one 

here and one there who has the courage to confess Tesus 
18 



274 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

as the Christ. There is one here and one there who will 
dare to confess Him openly, even though it may mean 
much opposition and persecution. There are some who 
will let the seed fall into their hearts, and bear fruit to the 
glory of God. 

21. This is true even among some of the children. They 
go home to their parents and to their friends, and tell them 
that they have found Jesus. One little girl who was a fre- 
quenter of the mission, and who also attended the sewing 
school, would go home and-tell her people about this Jesus. 
She was really in earnest, and finally succeeded in bringing 
her sister to the mission as well as some of her girl chums. 
She was taught to pray, and the mission was more of a 
home to her than the place where she lived. She finally 
learned to pray on bended knee, and in the name of Jesus. 
She delighted in the privilege of giving out the hymn books 
in the mission, even though there were Jews present. The 
Jews would look at her rather hard sometimes at what she 
was doing, but she thought it meant that they did not 
know where the place was in the book to sing from. She 
would therefore take her own book and give them, or else 
she would assist them in finding the place. It meant much 
for this little girl, but she often told the writer and the 
other workers that she did love Jesus. She was called 
upon at times to suffer for His name's sake, and she still 
would come to the mission. 

22. One day while she was at home, she wanted to pray, 
so she went into her room and shut her door. She fell 
upon her knees to pray to God in the name of Jesus. Her 
parents thought it a strange proceeding for her to go into 



SOME SEED FALLING ON GOOD GROUNp 275 




ONE OF THE BELIEVERS IN CHRIST 



276 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

her room and close the door. So they concluded to inves- 
tigate. They were surprised to see this little girl on her 
knees praying. This was a horrible thing, as the Jews 
must not bow down while they pray. Her mother imme- 
diately stood her on her feet, and gave her a whipping, 
told her what a wicked thing this was for her to do, and 
she must not go to that " bad place, the mission, any more. 
She came and told the story to us in such a sweet childish 
way, and said : 

" I am coming to the mission just the same, if my mother 
does beat me. I like to come and learn about Jesus, be- 
cause I want to be in heaven with Him." 

It was not at all unusual to see the little girl get up in 
the mission and testify for Jesus and for His love. We be- 
lieve that, though this child was so young, the impressions 
made upon her mind will never be effaced, and the Spirit 
of God will bring forth fruit from this seed which fell on 
good ground. 

23. The following letters written by Jews will tell their 
own story. The following appeals from Jews for litera- 
ture and New Testaments speak for themselves. The 
Holy Spirit is indeed speaking to the Jewish heart, and the 
seed which has been planted and which is being planted, is 
surely falling on good ground : 

"F C. Gilbert, 

" My dear Brother :- 

" Your highly esteemed letter of 
some time ago and tracts were duly received and are fully 
appreciated. Coming, as they do, from one of similar ex- 



SOME SEED FALLING ON GOOD GROUND 277 

periences as mine, their value to me is manifold enhanced. 
. . . Standing on the abyss to destruction, conscious of 
my misdoings, finding no rest anywhere, forsaken, forlorn, 
lost to God and man, feeling indescribably miserable, God 
sent Brother M. to me. No man ever approached me as 
he did. Tending to my physical wants, pressing me to 
and showing me the only Fountain of rest — Christ — he 
hardly realizes how sweet and balming his words and 
actions towards me have come just at the right time. 

" After some days of study and prayer, the whole load 
was removed in my fully believing that our promised Mes- 
siah has been here and has taken my sins away. No one 
knows the struggle of an Israelite in the flesh better than 
you and I. I love my people and race more than ever, 
and shall do what little I can to point out to others the 
only place where the turbulent soul finds rest. . . 

" Thanking you for the words of comfort and guidance 
received from you, > 

" I remain, 

" Your brother in Christ." 

" Dear Brother :- 

" Just a few lines to ask you to en- 
lighten me on a subject that I am trying to have fulfilled. 
Brother W. has referred you to me. We were of the old 
Jewish faith, but my two sisters and myself . . . are follow- 
ing and trusting in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 
My mother and brother still hold on to the Jewish belief. . . 

" Now what I want is to have you enlighten me and also 
my mother and brother, so that they can and will be helped 



278 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

by the words that you can send to them in regards to our 
dear Saviour, Jesus Christ. . . 
" I am your brother in the faith." 

" Dear Brother :- 

"Just a few lines to thank you for 
what you have done for us. . . Your tracts are ever so 
plain and true to those who will acknowledge the truth ; 
but it is harder for some people to realize than others. 
Mother can see that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of 
God. . . Dear mother for a while did not want us to say 
a prayer or a blessing when we used the name of our Sav- 
iour . . . now we can pray to God through our Saviour, 
and mother seems to be well pleased ; and so she should 
be, as there is no one dearer to us than the Lord and His 
Son Jesus Christ. Praise God and give glory to Him. 
Amen. 

"From your loving brother in the advent faith of 
Christ." 

" Dear Brother in Christ :- 

" Enclosed is one dollar 
which I send to help in the Industrial Home, and may God 
bless even this small amount. I am so interested in your 
work there, and would gladly give thousands of dollars to 
help you, if I had it ; but will send a little from time to 
time as I have it, with God's help. . . 

" I attended our camp-meeting at Los Angeles, and it 
was a great feast for me, and how I long for the people of 
our nation to know of our precious Messiah. . . My heart 



SOME SEED FALLING ON GOOD GROUND 279 

aches for my own people and nation, that they may hear 
the truth. 

" Your sister in Christ." 

" Dear Brother Gilbert :- 

" I am sending you twenty- 
five cents for the poor children. I am a little Jewish girl 
but lately converted. I love Jesus. I am working for Him 
each day. I am your little sister in Christ." 

from jews who make requests for light, for 

literature, for testaments. 
" Dear Sir":— 

" I am carrying one of your tracts with 
me and read it with much pleasure in the hours of trouble 
that come so many over my heart. Please send me a New 
Testament and the Psalms. . . 

"Yours thankfully." 

" Dear Sir :— 

" To-day I have received 7 the New Testa- 
ment and some tracts. I thank you very much. The 
Lord may bless you. 

" Yours truly." 

" Worthy Mr. Gilbert :- 

" Somewhat accidentally I ran 
across one of your brochures, entitled, 'Good Tidings to 
the Jews,' and this is number two in the series. It is in- 
deed interesting to read it. I therefore ask of you if it be 



28o JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

possible to secure from you all the consecutive numbers in 
this series, and also to lend me a copy of the New Testa- 
ment. I desire very much to become better acquainted 
with the teachings of the New Testament, that I may be 
the better able to love this religion. . . You may send me 
anything which will give me any information, and put me 
straight. 

"Very respectfully." 

" Dear Sir :— 

" I am asking you to send me a New Tes- 
tament and some other tracts at my address. 
" Very truly yours." 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 

Paragraph 3 (a). — The rabbis have so perverted the wording of the 
Scripture that they have taught the Jews that the word Saviour and 
the word salvation have nothing whatever to do with the word Jesus. 
It is true, nevertheless, that the name Jesus is from the same word as 
are Saviour and salvation. There are scores of passages in the Old 
Testament where the word in the Hebrew is practically the same «s 
the word for Jesus. This is especially true in Isa. 52 : 7 ; Isa. 12 : 1-3. 
When the attention of the Jew is called to these statements, he is first 
surprised, and then it seems difficult for him to see that there is any 
connection between the name of Jesus and the salvation spoken cf in 
the Bible. This is because of his teaching on the subject by the rab- 
bis. But it is true that the name of Jesus in the Old Testament is 
from the Hebrew word which means Saviour and salvation. 

Par. 19 (b). — In talking with Jews at the present time, we often hear 
them ask the question : " Why i3 it that lots of the Jews do not be- 



SOME SEED FALLING ON GOOD GROUND 



28l 



lieve in this Jesus ? If He really is the Messiah, then all Israel will ac- 
cept Him, because thd rabbis say that when Messiah does appear then 
all the Israelites will accept Him." Thus to this day the same idea 
prevails that they must accept messages in a body. They have for- 
gotten that God's people often stood alone. But Israel has lost her 
way, and it is not to be wondered at if she cannot find her way back. 




JEW SAYING PRAYERS WITH ROOSTER FOR SINS OF 

ATONEMENT. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



WHAT TO DO WITH THE OUTCASTS OP ISRAEL, 

i. The difficulties in leading the Jew to the blessed 
Saviour are many and various, but the real problem begins 
when he has accepted Jesus. When a son of Abraham 
turns from his sins and inclines his heart towards the 
Lord Jesus, he has a hard and serious problem awaiting 
him. His people are not only displeased with him, but 
according to the rabbinical and traditional law, they are 
forbidden to have anything whatever to do with him. In 
fact, it is expected that they will do all in their power to 
persecute him, and, if it is thought necessary, his life may 
be taken from him. There are various reasons for this 
which we will mention a little later ; but that you may 
know something of the feelings of the relatives of a Jew 
who accepts the dear Lord Jesus, I here recite an ex- 
perience or two of those who have taken their stand. 
These experiences are by no means stray ones. They are 
the lot of every orthodox Jew who turns to the Lord. 

2. Some years ago a physician in the United States 
Army was converted, a prominent doctor, and soon after 
he gave his heart to the Lord, he wrote to his mother in 
Germany. This was the reply he received, after waiting 
five long months : 

" Max : You are no longer my sou ; we have buried 

you in effigy ; we mourn you as one dead. And now may 

the God of Abraham, Isaac,, and Jacob strike you blind, 
(282) 



WHAT TO DO WITH THE OUTCASTS OF ISRAEL 283 

deaf, and dumb, and damn your soul forever. You have 
left your father's religion and the synagogue for that of 
Jesus, the ' Imposter,' and now take your mother's curse. 
—Clara." 

3. This same man told his wife the night he found Christ 
of his experience, saying, " Wife, I have found the Mes- 
siah." " Found whom ? " she asked, " Jesus Christ, my 
Messiah and Saviour," was the man's answer. Let him 
tell his own story of what immediately followed : 

" She spake not another word, but in less than five 
minutes was dressed, and had left the house, although it 
was then two in the morning and bitterly cold, and went 
across the street to the house of her parents, who lived 
immediately opposite. . . . 

4. " On the following morning my poor wife was told by 
her parents that if she ever called me husband again, she 
would be disinherited, excommunicated from the synagogue, 
and accursed. At the same time my two children were 
sent for by their grandparents, and were told they must 
never call me father again ; that I in praying to Jesus, the 
' Imposter,' was fully as bad and as mean as he was " 

5. The persecutions which the Jew who believes in the 
Saviour has to endure are bitter and relentless ; and should 
a.ry of the Jews, whether strangers or relatives, know that 
one drop of water would save the life of this apostate from 
the faith of Judaism, it would be refused him. The writer 
well remembers the experience he had when first writing 
to his dear mother and telling her of his faith in Christ 
and of his following the Lord in baptism. For years he 
was apparently dead to her and to all the family, and not a 



284 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

word could be received from relatives both near and distant. 

6. There are at least three reasons why the Jew feels 
this way towards the one who accepts Christ : First, The 
erroneous teachings the rabbis have inculcated in the Jew- 
ish mind concerning the religion of Christ ; second, The 
bitter and terrible persecutions which have been carried 
on against the Jews in the name of Christ and in the in- 
terests of the Christian religion ; third, The opinion, that 
the only reason a Jew accepts the Christian religion is be- 
cause of base and mercenary motives ; hence he sells his 
birthright, like Esau, for a mess of pottage, and for this 
reason should not be allowed to live. 

7. First, The Jews have succeeded well in keeping the 
New Testament away from the masses of their coreligion- 
ists. There are very few of the literal seed of Abraham 
who know anything of the existence of such a book, de- 
spite the fact that it was the Jews who wrote the New Tes- 
tament, and for the first century of the Christian era it was 
handled largely by the Jewish disciples. This being true, 
the rank and file of the people know nothing themselves of 
what the religion of Jesus teaches. Nearly all the miracles 
of the Saviour are either falsified or distorted, and the 
rabbis claim that Jesus practiced the art of magic, and it 
was by his magical learning that he performed great won- 
ders, and these.really were superseded by other and more 
learned rabbis than He was. 

8. The rabbis also teach that the Christian religion is 
bitterly opposed to the Jewish religion, and this is proved 
by the teaching of the Christian people. The Old Tes- 
tament many Christian believers know little about, and 



WHAT TO DO WITH THE OUTCASTS OF ISRAEL 285 

their practices are so different from the teachings of the 
word of God, that wherever Christian people come in con- 
tact with the Jews, the latter see the religion of Jesus in a 
false light. This is best illustrated by a letter the writer 
received from a Jew, in response to a tract which this son 
of Abraham received concerning the Christian religion : 

"Mr. F. C. Gilbert, 
" Dear Sir : — 

"After reading one of your tracts and noting 
the arguments set forth therein, I am convinced of one 
thing : that you are sincere, and really believe in what you 
preach ; although I do not write this with a view of 
converting you, not being well versed in the Talmud my- 
self, not anywhere near so well as you are. But you speak 
so sincerely and sympathetically, a method so totally differ- 
ent from that of most Christians in their efforts to convert 
Jews since the day God's Messenger(?) came on this earth, 
that I cannot refrain from writing to you for these reasons : 
First, to thank you for your sympathy ; second, to show 
you that it is not the Jews that need the sympathy ; i. e., 
the kind of which you speak. If we need sympathy it is 
because we suffer from those people, or from some of them, 
at least, who follow the teachings (or they say they do) of 
Christ. 

" Now of course you will say we suffer because we did 
not accept Jesus ; that is a very poor argument for Chris- 
tians who persecute us. . . But I intend to show you why 
we did not accept Jesus, and why we do not believe in 
Him as our Saviour. . . , A messenger from God would 



2 86 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

agree with God's teachings given to Moses on Mt. Sinai. 
Do the Christians practice everything that God commands 
in the Bible ? You cannot say, yes^ for you violate the 
Sabbath, and eat food which the Bible says is forbidden- 
[The gentleman, was informed on these points very soon 
after his letter was received.] If he was God's messenger 
he would not violate those laws. God's laws are un- 
changeable, as you yourself say. 

9. " Some Christians say that they observe Sunday be- 
cause Jesus died or was born on Sunday, I am not sure 
which. Now there is just as much sense in that as to say 
that we should observe Monday or Tuesday because some 
man who claims to be Messiah was born or died on that 
day. ... If you were to send a man on an errand for 
you, you would select a man who would carry out your in- 
struction, . . . and not his own, or anybody else's. If 
God sent Jesus as His messenger, He would carry out His 
instructions, and abide by His laws. 

"... We do not ask you to believe our religion. 
You ask us, or rather Christ asked us, to believe in Him ; 
therefore you should be able to answer all questions satis- 
factorily. As long as you quote the Bible, etc., you must 
believe in it yourself. ..." 

10. It is therefore clear that one of the great needs of 
the hour is so to live the word of God that the Jew will see 
what the Christian religion really is. He must see that 
the religion of Jesus is not opposed to the religion of the 
Old Testament. He must learn that the same God who 
made the Old Testament told .Israel that with them He 
would make .a New Testament. The New Testament is 



WHAT TO DO WITH THE OUTCASTS OF ISRAEL 287 

but the fruit of the Old. When the Jew sees this, then He 
will cease to a large extent to bitterly -oppose one of his 
brethren who believes in the very Bible and in the religion 
of his forefathers. 

1 1 . One other illustration will be given to impress this 
point upon the reader's mind. A young man accepted 
Christ, and wrote to his mother. Shortly after he re- 
ceived a letter from his mother, from which I quote the 
following: 

" But perhaps you will say that you have joined the 
missionaries out of conviction in their creed ; then I say 
that I do n't believe it. To leave the grand, pure, simple 
faith of Judaism, those pure truths which were handed by 
God to Moses at Sinai, and which are destined to be the 
guiding principles of humanity till the end of time, to 
think that you have abandoned that creed for any other 
through conviction, is in truth beyond the comprehension 
of any sane and reasonable being. No, my child, you have 
been misguided, you have been tempted, and proved yourself 
weak. You have turned from the * fountain of living water 
to hew out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no 
water.' Ah, my dear , in what language shall I ap- 
peal to you to retract the awful step you have taken ? 
Shall it be the tender language of a mother's love ? Shall 
it be the forcible weapon of the truth of Judaism which 
will last forever? I combine the two. My heart is 
broken. The sad news will shorten my brief days on earth. 
I shall pass away with a mental agony which can never be 
equalled, even by the most terrible bodily pain. 

" Oh let me hear just once more that you have retraced 



288 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

your step, that I may know that I have my own dear child 
back again. But above all I come to you with the 
language of truth, God's truth, that the faith in which you 
have been nurtured is the Heaven-born religion, the faith 
which I yet hope and trust and pray will be the one to 
which you will once more come back. ..." 

12. Second, For nearly eighteen centuries the Chris- 
tian religion to the Jew has meant bitter and horrible per- 
secution. In the next chapter we will deal with this mat- 
ter more in full, so we will not take the time here., Hence 
the Jew feels that if a person has been brought up in the 
Jewish religion and knows the history of Judaism, which 
has largely been written in the blood of his ancestors and 
in the agonies of his forefathers, he ought to be perse- 
cuted and bitterly treated if he adopts a religion of that 
character, (a) 

13. Third, In view of what the Jew is taught concern- 
ing the treatment of the Jews by the Christian people, in 
view of what the Jew thinks the Christian religion is, there 
can be to his mind but one reason why a fellow-Jew should 
turn away from his religion and adopt the religion of the 
Christian — it is base and sinister motives. So every 
Jewish child from infancy is taught that the Jews are 
bought to become Christians. That missionaries are peo- 
ple who get large sums of money. To accept this Chris- 
tian religion they sell th'eir souls, they throw away their 
birthright, they barter their present and their future 
happiness. They therefore are not fit to live. 1 They are 

x Acts 22 : 22, 23. 



WHAT TO DO WITH THE OUTCASTS OF ISRAEL 289 



• 



to be excommunicated. They should be anathematized. 
They ought to be cast out. Thus, reasons the Jew, should 
be done with all who claim to be followers of this Jesus. 

14. Many has been the time when the Jews would come 
to the writer, and ask him how large sums he secured for 
preaching this religion. Jews have come to the writer and 
told him they would like to engage in this missionary busi- 
ness, if they could only get as large sums as the mission- 
aries do. The Jews believe if a Jew gets his head turned (this 
is what they call conversion), the missionary who succeeds 
in accomplishing this task, is made wealthy ; and if the 
missionary ever accomplishes the feat of baptizing him, 
then the worker is given a present of a large sum of 
money. This is inbred in every grain of the Jew. I will 
illustrate this by a quotation from the letter of a mother 
to her son from which I last quoted : 

" For what reasons have you done such a thing ? Is it 
because you have been unsuccessful in your business and 
these missionaries have tempted you into their fold by 
promises of help ? Then I entreat you to be man enough 
to resist that temptation. You should prefer honorable 
poverty to inglorious riches. Toil on honestly, and our 
good Father in heaven will surely reward you, and send 
you success even on this earth. But oh ! be not so blind, 
so weak as to act the renegade, the deserter, and cast not 
away your soul, your life, your eternity, for temporary and 
material gain." 

15. In contrast to this idea of the Jews, I am sure the 

reader will be glad to learn what was once promised a Jew 

when he was urged to accept Christ. The Jew told me he 
19 



29O JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

must have peace. He said that if he did not have peace, 
he should lose his mind. I said to him : 

" You can have peace. God will give it to you, but you 
must be willing to pay the price." 

" What is the price of peace that God asks ? " he in- 
quired. 

I said to him, " You must never expect to have any 
clothes to put on your back. You must never expect to 
get bread to eat. You must never expect any one to be- 
friend you on earth. You must never expect to have a shelter 
in this world. You must expect to leave all. You must 
expect publicly to confess Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, 
the Son of God, and you must tell people everywhere you 
go what Jesus has done for you. If you do this, you will 
get peace. This is God's price of peace. You must for- 
sake all and follow Him." 2 

16. We knelt together and had a season of prayer. A few 
days after this, the young man walked eight miles, entered 
into a church while service was being held, and at the close 
of the service asked the privilege of making a statement. 
He then and there took a public stand for Christ. After 
the service, in the evening, he went to the house where he 
was staying, and immediately began to tell the people what 
he had done. It was the Sabbath between the " New Year " 
and the " Day of Atonement," an extremely holy Sabbath 
to the Jews, known as the " Sabbath of Repentance." 
For a time the folks thought he was jesting. They finally 
became convinced that he was in earnest, and immediately 

2 Matt. 10:32-39. 



WHAT TO DO WITH THE OUTCASTS OF ISRAEL 29 I 

began to persecute him. He had to flee from the house 
to save his life. It being the Sabbath day, he had no 
money in his pocket, as it is not lawful for the Jews to 
carry any money on the Sabbath. The result was that he 
walked the streets of New York City all night, and this 
was his first experience along this line. This is what we 
generally tell the Jews when they ask what they must do 
to be a Christian — a great contrast to the Jewish view. 

17. It is apparent, however, that the condition is such 
that it is an awful step to take. Deprivation, hunger, per- 
secution, starvation, and death stare at the Jew when he 
takes his stand to obey the gospel of Christ. This was 
one of the hard things I had to encounter as the work pro- 
gressed, and it was a very perplexing thing to solve. What 
could we do with these Jews ? We did not always know 
whether they were in earnest or not, and at the same time, 
when they said they believed, and were willing to suffer for 
Christ, what could we do for them and with them ? 

18. The ways and customs of the orthodox Jew are so 
different from the civilized Gentile, that it -is difficult for 
him to accommodate himself to the manners of the Chris- 
tian people ; but something must be done. We had- one 
experience which brought this truth home to the heart 
with a terrible conviction. A young man who had at- 
tended the mission for some time, finally took his stand 
for Christ. He was about twenty-two years old. He 
seemed like a nice young person, and had a strong desire 
to do right. He wanted to obey the Lord fully, and lost 
his position. He had about fifty dollars in money which 
he had saved, and was willing'- -to walk in -the light ah : d-fol- 



292 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

low in Christ's steps. He continually attended the mission 
and the meetings, and seemed anxious to learn. But he 
needed work. He needed something to do. He under- 
stood very little English, and had no kind of occupation at 
which he could work among Gentiles generally. 

19. Whenever he came to the mission, we would ask 
him to partake with us of food, but for some time he re- 
fused. . He said he had some money, and hoped that the 
Lord would open the way for him so that he could do some 
business of his own. Things went this way for a time, till 
his money was spent. He would continually ask, if we 
could not get him some work. There were few people who 
cared much for the Jew, even though he was a Christian, 
and what work he might have had, he was unable to do, 
especially because he did not know the English language. 

20. His health began to fail, and he at length attended 
the Massachusetts Hospital. Here he was told that he 
had tuberculosis. I felt, however, that a lack of nourishing 
food was as much the trouble as any other cause. Shortly 
after he was stricken down with terrible suffering, and the 
doctor said the cause was lack of nourishment, worry, and 
loss of sleep. 

2 1 . For ten days the young man suffered intensely, but 
he seemed patient through it all. He hoped the Lord 
would help him, so that when he was better he could se- 
cure employment. About that time my health failed, and 
I was obliged to leave the country for a while. After my 
departure he went out to sell papers for a while, but with 
little success. He was gone three days, and I was in- 
formed that when he returned to our house, he was so 



WHAT TO DO WITH THE OUTCASTS OF ISRAEL 293 

hungry that it seemed as though he could not secure 
sufficient food to satisfy the gnawings of the stomach. 
There were several reasons for this lack of success, he 
could not speak the language. Many people slighted him, 
and others took no stock in the idea of his being a Christian.^ 
The poor fellow became discouraged, and finally went 
away. Although several years are now passed since this 
incident took place, the young man has never been heard 
from. His parents wrote him a number of letters, and 
sent him money for his needs. Many of his friends have 
scoured the country for him, but he cannot be found. It 
has been concluded that the poor fellow must have died. 

22. Now is this not sad? To think that a young man, 
because he could not speak the language, and was an out- 
cast from his people on account of his religion, should be 
obliged to thus suffer ? It stirred my heart, and I resolved, 
then and there, with the help of God, that something should 
be done. But what could be done ? What could we do 
for these poor outcasts of Israel ? I had prayed much and 
earnestly, and had sought the Lord for light. I felt that 
in a time like this He would not leave the soul who called 
upon Him. 

23. One day while alone in meditation, and thinking 
about the situation, the call came as distinctly as though 
the voice were audible, " Why not get a city of refuge for 
these poor outcasts of Israel ?" Sure enough! The im- 
pression was made, and it seemed as though the call was a 
heavenly one. I began to think of the idea, and prayed 
over the matter. The more I thought and the more I 
prayed, the more impressed I became that it was the thing 



294 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

to do. In fact, was not the Bible the guide in this direc- 
tion ? Did not the Lord anciently have a city of refuge 
for His people Israel, so that in time of need they might 
have a place of shelter and protection? 3 The more I mused 
the more the fire burned, and it seemed to burn deeply 
into the soul. 

24. But where was the place ? Where was the money 
for such a project ? Who could be interested in such an 
undertaking ? It meant time, money, energy, perseverance, 
and various other things to start a project of that charac- 
ter. But I felt that the Lord had spoken ; and He who 
had guided the work thus far surely would not leave it in 
this crucial hour. 

25. I laid the matter before Christian brethren for coun- 
sel and for prayer, and for suggestions of ways and means. 
We sought wisdom of the Lord, and decided that the place 
ought to be in the vicinity of Boston, the mission field, and 
at the same time near to the location where we had our 
printing and literature work carried on. A search was be- 
gun. Days, weeks, and months passed before a place 
could be found, and finally the Lord led us, we believe, to 
the very spot we should secure. It was just twenty miles 
from Boston, and the same distance to the place where we 
had our tract and literature work carried on. Surely the 
pillar of cloud rested on the right spot, and the farm, an 
eighty-acre tract, looked as though it had great possibilities 
that might be developed. The house contained twenty-one 
finished rooms, there were two large barns, a carriage house, 

3 See Numbers 35. 



WHAT TO DO WITH .THE OUTCASTS OF ISRAEL 



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more than two hundred fruit-trees, and other things which 
could be used for the work to good advantage. 

26. We found that to undertake this enterprise we 
should need ten thousand dollars. We laid the matter be- 
fore the Lord and before some friends. We told them we 
needed ten thousand dollars for a home for poor Jews who 
wished to learn more about Christ, and who would need a 
place of refuge if they were cast out for their faith in Jesus. 
The brethren were very kind and sympathetic, but it meant 
ten thousand dollars. TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS, 
they said, was a lot of money ; how did we expect to raise 
ten thousand dollars ! We told them the Lord had plenty 
of money ; the only thing was to know whether it was the 
thing to do. All agreed that such a place might accom- 
plish much good, but where was the money coming from ? 

27. The first thing we did was to organize a board, and 
to negotiate for the purchase of the property. The Lord 
opened the way so that we had interested a few friends in 
this project, but hardly a beginning had been made. It 
was finally settled that the property should be secured, and 
that in five months from the time tjie deal was made the 
money should be raised to pay for the place. The first 
sum needed was nearly six thousand dollars, and this had 
to be secured in five months. 

28. Some of the dear friends said : " Brother Gilbert, 
you cannot raise this money this winter. It is a panic 
year ; there are hard times on in the land, and money is 
scarce. Even the banks are giving out little money, and it 
does not seem possible that you can raise the money in that 
time." I believed in my soul that the same Jesus who se- 



WHAT TO DO WITH THE OUTCASTS OF ISRAEL 297 

cured money from the fish's mouth when He needed, was 
still alive to do great things for the children of men who 
put their trust in Him. 4 I answered : " If there were 
plenty of money in the land, and every one felt that they 
could give liberally, the Lord would not receive so much 
credit when the thing was done, as He would get when He 
sent us the money in times of financial panic." 

29. Our faith in the blessed Christ was strong. We be- 
lieved that He who had led us to secure this place, would 
in His own way give us the money to purchase it ; and we 
had decided that the place when it was purchased must be 
free from debt. There must be no mortgage on the place, 
as the Lord would have places of that kind free from the 
embarrassment of debt. We were happy in the faith that 
God would do as we believed He agreed; and in His own 
divine way He worked marvelously for us. When the first 
week in April ca^me, the money was on hand, and the place 
was free from debt. 

30. One incident might be related which shows how the 
Lord works if we but trust Him. Mrs. Gilbert accompa- 
nied me to a certain church where I was to speak. A lady 
in the church who was a stranger to us both, although we 
had had some correspondence in days gone by, came to 
Mrs. Gilbert to inquire about that home. She seemed 
much troubled concerning it, and felt a burden to see that 
something was done. She told Mrs. Gilbert that when all 
the money was raised but the last thousand dollars, she 
would see that that amount was forthcoming. A few days 

4 Matt. 17:^4-27. 



298 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

later she decided that such a proposition was not the thing, 
but told us that she would give a thousand dollars towards 
the purchase of the place. Thus, when the Lord had sent 
us all that we needed till that point, the thousand dollars 
came all right, and we were able to secure a clear title to 
the property. Our hearts went up to God for His good- 
ness and His kindness, and again we saw clearly that the 
Holy Spirit was leading in the work. 

3 1 . As soon as the place was secured, there were one or 
two Jews who were ready to go there, and whose hearts 
were glad and thankful for just such a place. The follow- 
ing summer the place was dedicated to the Lord and to the 
work, and a large number of the residents of old historic 
Concord, as well as friends from other towns, came to wel- 
come us, and to bid us Godspeed in the work. Indeed it 
has been a blessed refuge to the Jews, and a convenient 
place for the work. We have had a number of Jews come 
here who realize that it has been indeed a shelter, a home, 
a protection, and a refuge to them. Several times we have 
had whole families here, especially when the husband would 
bitterly persecute the wife for accepting the Christian re- 
ligion. While it is true that not all who have been here 
have turned out as they should, we are glad and thankful 
to God for what has been done. We are indeed glad that 
God has given us a few souls who, we believe, are loyal and 
true to Jesus and to His most blessed truth, and the "Good 
Tidings Home" has indeed been a blessing to such. 

32. We have at different times conducted a church 
school here for children. We have conducted a Bible 
school here for adults. We have different enterprises 



WHAT TO DO WITH THE OUTCASTS OF ISRAEL 299 




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300 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

which have been conducted in connection with the Home, 
such as printing, farming, sewing, and the .place is con- 
ducted on a home basis. The Lord has given us valuable 
helpers at different times, and we have seen His power at 
work in a marked manner. 

33. Of course there were many things which needed at- 
tention. Supplies had to be purchased for the Home and 
for the farm, and many things had to be done in order to 
carry on the work. But we were sure that the dear Lord 
who had opened the way for the work to begin would not 
leave it, if we continued faithful and true to Him. Every- 
thing was carried on from a philanthropic standpoint. It 
would take time to develop the land, since the farm was in 
a run-down state when we secured it. There were repairs 
needed on the Home, and improvements and additions had 
to be made. The only thing we could do was to pray, and 
to ask the Lord to supply the needs. 

34. At the time of this writing the Home has been op- 
erated more than three years. There have been times 
when we have had as many as twenty and thirty mouths to 
feed. There were repairs and improvements made at other 
times, which demanded as much as a thousand dollars a 
month. When the first day of the month came, we hardly 
ever knew where a dollar was coming from. We had no 
regular constituency, and we had no one who promised us 
either annuities or other regular gifts. But we did have 
the blessing and the promise of the Lord. We wish right 
here to bear testimony that there never has been' a month 
in all these three years but that God has supplied our every 
need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus, and 



WHAT TO DO WITH THE OUTCASTS OF ISRAEL 3OI 




V 



MRS. ANNA VANDERBILT. 

A Jewish Christian, who has acted as matron of the Home, and 
has been in colporteur work among ths Jews. 



302 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

there never has come a bill due, whether it was a dollar or 
a thousand dollars, but that there was always money on 
hand to meet the obligation. 

35. When we would come to a place where we knew 
not what to do, we laid aside our labor and our food, and 
sought the Lord by fasting and by prayer. God heard 
and answered in a most direct and wonderful manner. We 
wish to ascribe praise and glory to Him. He is a prayer- 
hearing and prayer-answering God, and we have never 
known His promise to fail. 

36. There are times when we have a half a dozen Jews 
at the Home, then there are other times when we do not 
have so many. There is never a time but that there are 
some Jewish brethren there, and we are more and more 
impressed that the place was secured in direct answer to 
the voice of God that such a place is needed for the work 
among the Jews. The Lord has most signally blessed the 
efforts ; and while we regret many mistakes that have been 
made, and while we realize that not so much has been ac- 
complished as we had hoped, we still believe that the Holy 
Spirit is guiding in this direction, and the " Good Tidings 
Home" still has a bright and glorious future to act in the 
work of God for the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 

37. We believe that as the Lord has supplied the needs 
of this work till the present time, the needs will still be at- 
tended to by Him, "if we walk with the Lord in the light 
of His word." May the Lord grant that many of the lost 
sheep of Israel, those who are outcasts for His name's 
sake, may find a refuge in this place, and may become 
workers in the Master's vineyard among their brethren. 



WHAT TO DO WITH THE OUTCASTS OF ISRAEL 303 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 

Paragraph 12 (a). — In these days there are many Jews who are con- 
sidered great philanthropists, and apparently are free from prejudice 
and narrow-mindedness. They even extend their philanthropy to 
Christian people and Christian institutions ; and to the ordinary 
Christian person it seems that such Jews are entirely free from such 
erroneous feelings towards their relatives. 

Among this class of people can be counted the late Sir Moses 
Montefiore, one of England's greatest philanthropists, and one of the 
most remarkable Jews of the last century. Nevertheless his prejudice 
against Christianity as related to the Jews never left him. This man 
had an aged aunt who accepted the Christian religion. She was 
eighty-five years old at the time she gave her heart to Jesus, 
while she was living in Marseilles. She lost her fortune through a 
mercantile firm in England with whom she had deposited her money, 
and during the latter years of her life she was dependent for her 
maintenance upon her nephew, who remitted to her twice a year. 
Shortly before her death, he visited his aunt, and then she confessed 
to him her faith in Christ. We give a portion.of a narrative touch- 
ing this point, by a Christian Jew who was the means of leading her 
into the light of Christ : 

" In March of the same year [1857] she received a visit from Sir 
Moses on his way to the East, but he remained with her only a few 
minutes. On entering her chamber he inquired how she was, and ex- 
pressed his regret at finding her so poorly. In reply to which she 
said: ' I am very ill, and I am waiting for the Lord Jesus to come to 
take me home.' When Sir Moses heard that name, so sweet to a 
believer's ear, but to the Jews a stumbling-block, he snatched up his 
hat, and rushed out of the room. From that hour till her death, he 
never held intercourse with her by word or by deed. She felt this 
more than she could express, at the same time she thanked God for 
having enabled her to witness for the Lord Jesus before her unbe- 
lieving nephew." 



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CHAPTER XXII. 



THE PERSECUTION OE THEJEWS. 

1. Many persons have asked the writer, " Why are the 
Jews so bitter towards the gospel of Christ? Why is it 
that when they hear the name of Jesus, they are so hateful 
and so ugly? Why is it that when one does become a 
Christian they wish to persecute him so, and do him bodily 
harm ? " These questions are troubling thousands of good 
Christian people, and doubtless because of these feelings of 
the Jews there are a great many persons who have never 
yet overcome their prejudices against the Jews, and who 
are not very sympathetic or patient with the poor lost 
sheep of the house of Israel. 

2. I well remember, on one occasion, a young man who 
decided to obey the blessed Christ. He seemed in earnest. 
He stood right up in the mission, and gave his testimony 
for Christ in the face of a number of other Jewish young 
men with whom he was well acquainted. Of course this 
meant much to him, and he did not fully realize at the 
time what was involved in the step. 

3. After a brief consultation with me one night, he de- 
cided to go out with one of the colporteurs and do some 
missionary work among his brethren by giving out tracts. 
He took a bunch of literature, and started with this worker. 
He had not gone very far before he was recognized by 
some Jews with whom he was acquainted. One of the 
men knocked him down, scattered all his literature, tore up 

20 ( 305 ) 



306 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

some of the tracts, and left the young man lying in the 
mud. He managed to get away from them before they did 
him any serious injury, and realized that it was a bitter 
experience for a start. This, however, illustrates the gen- 
eral feeling and tendency among the Jews towards those 
who are Christians, and who attempt to make acknowledg- 
ment of Christ. 

4. The Jews are bitter ; but is there not a reason from 
their point of view ? I would state right here that what 
may be written in this chapter is not a justification of the 
Jew in rejecting the Saviour and His blessed gospel. In- 
deed not ! The only thing that will help the poor Jew, 
whether he be rich in this world's goods or whether he 
be poverty-stricken, is the divine and blessed Christ. He 
is the true Messiah ; He is the Deliverer and Redeemer 
of Israel. It is, however, designed to call the attention of 
the reader to certain conditions which have existed among 
the Jews for nearly eighteen hundred years, and most of 
which have been brought about by the people who profess 
to be Christian. It is also hoped that, by knowing these 
conditions, the reader will have more sympathy for the Jew 
in his darkened spiritual condition, — more sympathy for him 
because of his having lost the hope of the Messiah, — and at 
the same time a desire will be created to bring the pure and 
blessed truth of the gospel of the Messiah to these people, 
that they may know Him as He is, the One altogether 
lovely, the Lily of the valley. 1 

5. The largest part of Jewish history during the dark 

1 Song of Solomon 2:1. 



PERSECUTIONS OF THE JEWS 307 

and middle ages has never been written. While glimpses of 
that period have been recorded, never, till the day of eter- 
nity shall open, will the full history of the cruelties, mas- 
sacres, pillages, barbarities, and horrible atrocities be made 
known. Scarcely a nation in Europe or Asia but that has 
washed her hands in the blood of the Jews, and many a city 
has been repeatedly washed in the torrents of blood which 
have been shed from the poor Jews. Could the soil but 
speak, and did the earth have the power of speech and elo- 
quence, a mighty host of voices would be raised to heaven 
in one united appeal for revenge upon those who have, in 
the name of the Master, wreaked vengeance upon these 
people who were scattered abroad as sheep having nd 
shepherd. 2 Most of these horrible tales of woe have been 
iterated and reiterated from father to son* from rabbi to 
pupil, from historian to student, as having been done in the 
name of Christ, in order to have revenge upon that people 
who put the Master to death. .In a number of countries 
this was the slogan,, and tens of thousands of. Jews, have 
been mown down -as. the grass of the. -field,. .and millions 
have .be en butchered - and slaughtered . as\ cat tie: and ; sheep 

for market.. . ..:,,.„ ... w\\ :.._>: ..;;,.;.: ^.:;;.; 

6. While we may refer : to' the.awf ul disasters of the dark 
and medieval ages, the horrible persecutions of the Jews, in 
Russia, in Roumania, in Morocco, are still fresh in the minds 
of thousands of people at the present time. While America 
and Europe at present are. free from these : persecutions, 
Russia is still piling up her accounts :by brutality and 

2 Matt. 9 :36.-« V • ''*-'<" *& «>*.**& ~£J? *0 J"«*ik 



308 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

murder against the poor son of Abraham, the despised Jew. 

7. In nearly all the European countries for centuries the 
Jew was huddled together in one location, and this place 
was called the Ghetto. Here he existed as the ruler per- 
mitted him, and he was the sport and the mockery of the 
king, the priest, and the populace. He was regarded as 
too low to mingle with the Christian, and he would defile 
the Christian did he come in contact with him. Therefore 
laws were made by the Christian princes as well as by the 
popes, forbidding the mingling of Jew and Christian. 

8. For instance: Spain made the following law : 

" If heretics are unwilling to join the Catholic Church, 
Catholic girls must not be given to them in marriage ; but 
neither to Jews nor to heretics should they be given, be- 
cause there can be no association for the faithful with the 
unbeliever. If parents act contrary to this prohibition, 
they shall be cut off from communion for five years." 

9. Again : " If, then, any ecclesiastic or any of the faith- 
ful partakes of food with Jews, he shall be deprived of com- 
munion, so that this may be corrected." 

In the thirteenth century the following legislation was 
made against the Jew in Poland : " Since the land of 
Poland is a new acquisition in the body of Christianity, lest 
perchance the Christian people be, on this account, the 
more easily infected with the superstition and depraved 
morals of the Jews dwelling among them, ... we 
command that the Jews dwelling in this province . . . 
shall not live among the Christians, but shall have their 
houses near or next to one another in some sequestered 
part of the state or town. . ." 



PERSECUTIONS OF THE JEWS 309 

10. In the fourteenth century the general church council 
of Basle passed the following legislation : " That too great 
c inverse with them [Jews] may be avoided, they shall be 
compelled to live in certain places in the cities and towns, 
separated from the dwelling-place of the Christians, and as 
far from the churches as possible." (#) 

1 1 . Many more illustrations might be cited of this same 
class of legislation by the so-called Christian and church 
people, and these instances reveal how the Jew was re- 
garded by the so-called Christian. All this legislation was 
in fact done for the benefit of Christianity, and by those 
who called themselves followers of Christ. This class of 
legislation also reveals another reason why the Jews con- 
gregate as they do in the large cities. Every city has its 
Ghetto, and this because for centuries they were compelled 
to live this way, the conditions having been forced upon 
them by the professed Christian people. 

12. There were times when the Jew was public as well 
as private property. He belonged to popes, bishops, and 
kings, and often these princes found the Jew a very useful 
article of gain. When a king wanted to raise money, and 
had no other source of revenue, he would pay off his debts 
by taxing the Jews. Similar things were done by the 
leaders in church life, and the Jews were obliged to submit 
to such treatment. But all this conduct was under the 
name of the Christian religion ; for in the middle ages 
everything was Christian, and everything was done by the 
church and for the church. 

13. Another form of persecution carried on against the 
Jews by the church was the cruel edict by Pope Innocent 



3IO JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

III, which compelled every Jew to wear a piece of yellow 
cloth, that every one might know he was a Jew. This was 
done in every European country where the church held 
sway. In England, France, Germany, and other countries, 
the Jew begged and plead that he might be saved from 
such a dire disgrace ; but the church had said it, and that 
was the end. When the Jews were given their quarters 
in which to exist many of the European countries, through 
the bishops and the popes, had high walls and thick gates 
made to keep the Jews within, and every night at the set 
of the sun the Jews were driven into their pens, and the 
gates were barred and locked till sunrise the next morning. 

14. One writer, in speaking of this experience, states 
that " in the city of Cologne the records for the year thir- 
teen hundred forty-one show that the officer of the town 
was to have the keys to the Jews' gates. The gates were 
to be locked at sundown, they were to be unlocked at sun- 
rise, and for this service the Jews had to pay this official 
every year twenty marks." See Stobb's "Die Yuden in 
DeutscJiland" p. 94. 

15. The reader of history is familiar with the fanatical 
cry which resounded all through Europe at the time of the 
crusades : 

" Exterminate the enemies of Christ here at home be- 
fore fighting against them in the far East." And tens of 
thousands of Jews were slaughtered. They were pillaged, 
they were plundered, their places of abode were burned 
and sacked. This meant the Christian religion to the Jew. 

16. Who has not read the awful tale of the Spanish In- 
quisition, and the part it acted against the Jews ? Who 



PERSECUTIONS OF THE JEWS 3 1 I 

does not know that thousands of Jews were killed, 
were brutally treated, were sold as slaves, were let loose 
upon the waters in boats and in ships, during the days of 
Spain's power, in Spain as well as in Morocco. Many 
have read how the streets flowed with Jewish blood, 
and this because the church did not want the Jew there. 
The Jew must be exterminated, and the Jew has never for- 
gotten this. How sad it is that the church has left such 
a record ! True it is that this was the apostate church. 
True it is that this was not the church of Jesus Christ, but 
rather it was the synagogue of Satan. True it is that all 
these things were done by those who were instigated by 
the power of the enemy, but the Jew was taught that this 
was done in the name of the Christian religion and by the 
followers of Jesus. 

17. Could the Jews only have seen the future as the 
blessed Master saw it the day when He plead with Israel 
to accept Him, how differently they would have felt to- 
wards Him and towards His followers, and how differently 
the Christian religion would have been known to them. 3 
But Satan did all in his power to misrepresent the blessed 
Christ and His religion, and thus a terrible blot was placed 
upon it by these, His professed followers, and the Jew was 
led to believe that this was the religion of Jesus. 

18. Who does not recall the strange innovation that 
Pope Gregory XIII introduced when he compelled all the 
Jews in Rome to attend church once a week to hear a ser- 
mon on the gospel, in order that they might be converted 

3 Matt. 23:34-37. 



312 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

to the religion of Jesus. What a strange sight it must 
have been to see the police and the priests open the gates 
of the Ghetto every Saturday afternoon, and let the men, 
women, and children over twelve years of age, pass through 
the gates like a flock of sheep, and then give diligent watch 
to see that none escaped, but that all went into the house 
of God. This was done because the bishops thought that 
the Jews' attending synagogue Sabbath morning would 
be but a preparation for them to hear a sermon on the 
gospel, to convince them of the superiority of the Christian 
religion over the Jewish. 

19. And the people had to listen to the sermon. There 
was a watchman, not only at the gate to see that the peo- 
ple went into the church, but one or more men stood 
among the people to see that they were not overcome by 
the power of sleep. For should the sermon not be so in- 
teresting or instructive as it might be, the Jew must still 
keep awake. If he should fall under the influence of sleep, 
he would be quickly aroused by the crack of the whip com- 
ing over his head and body. This was done in the church 
under the name of the Christian religion. Is it to be 
wondered at that the Jew feels as he does towards the 
Christian religion ? Is it surprising that to him the Chris- 
tian religion is contrary to the Bible and to the teachings 
of the word of God ? Sad, oh, so sad, to think that the 
blessed truths of the pure and undiluted gospel, and the 
divine and lovely character of the kind and spotless Christ, 
the divine fulness of pity and kindness, should be so mis- 
represented ! 

20. What a terrible stir those persecutions in Russia 



PERSECUTIONS OF THE JEWS 3 I 3 

created among the people of America and other foreign 
lands ! Think of the horrible pogroms which took place 
between the years 1903 and 1906. In the latter year the 
press of America had the following in its news columns, 
purporting to be part of an address of one of the prominent 
Russian people : 

u In the name of our Emperor I bless you. The holy 
Russian cause is the extermination of rebels. You know 
where they are, and where to find them. . . Go ahead, 
brothers ; death to the rebels and the' Jews." 

Soon after the speaker's train departed, a band of three 
hundred Russians went through the principal parts of the 
city, crying : 

" Death to the rebels ! Death to the Jews ! " 

Thousands and tens of thousands of Jews were cru- 
elly and coldly butchered by the officials of the govern- 
ment and through the influence of the church. Think of 
Bialystock, Lodz, Odessa, Kiev, Moscow, and Kishineff. 
In one month alone there were more than twenty-five thou- 
sand Jews killed. The Jew believes that Russia is one of 
the most Christian countries in the world. Every Russian 
will talk about Christ, will think about Christ, will worship 
Christ, and will slaughter for Christ. With the Russian 
everything is Christ but living His life. And the conduct 
of the Russian to the Jew is the Christian way of doing 
things. We might recite many individual experiences of 
horrible cruelties which were perpetrated upon the Jews 
by the Russians, but to many of the readers these mem- 
ories are still a living green. I will quote part of a letter 
from a Jewish Christian lady of Kishineff, the center of 



3 H JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

some of the most cruel persecutions. She was the daugh- 
ter of the renowned Mr. Rabbinowitz, the great Jewish 
lawyer and scholar, who finally became a Christian. This 
letter was written to a friend : 

" Your kind letter of November 14 we received all right. 
. . . As regards your question whether Christian Jews 
were suffering as the un-Christian Jews are, I can tell you 
that at the most terrible bloody October days the Russian 
beast-like mobs made no difference then whether it was a 
Christian or not. They only thirsted for Jewish blood. . . 
I know of hundreds of Jewish families in Kishineff and in 
other small places in Bessarabia that are simply starving 
in this most bitterly cold winter weather. 

21. "The beastly cruel Russian mobs and 'huligans' 
destroyed their houses, their belongings, their all There 
is a small town near Kishineff called Kalarsch, where was 
a terrible massacre ; all the Jewish houses were burned 
down, and the Jews, men, women, and children were killed 
by Russian peasants. A great many Jews perished in the 
burning houses. Some of our people, a Christian Jewish 
family, had just a narrow escape. Now this family is com- 
pelled to leave KalarscK, where they resided for twenty 
years, as they are threatened to be killed. . . The constant 
fear and panic makes one's nerves strained, but the Lord 
is strengthening us to bear all our troubles. 

22. "On the twentieth of October we spent a most ter- 
rible night and day, as the Russian mobs threatened to set 
on fire all the houses in our part of the town. Thank God, 
it was only threatenings. Several nights we were all up, 
and the children slept in their clothes to be ready in case 



PERSECUTIONS OF THE JEWS 315 

of any danger. There were many Jews killed and wounded 
in KishinefL The fear and panic amongst the Jews is 
still very great, and so is also the poverty and the need. . . 

" Rachel Kimm." 

23. With these few facts before you, we hope that your 
sympathy will now be more keenly felt in behalf of the 
Jew. If he is not susceptible to the efforts of the gospel 
at first, let him know that what he has been taught as the 
Christian religion is no part of the gospel of God. We are 
sure the Spirit of God will impress the Jew with the beauty 
of holiness as it is in Christ, and after having done the will 
of God, if we have patience in sowing the seed, we shall 
see the results of the toil and labor. . 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 
Paragraph 10 (a). — "Old European Jewries." 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



THE PROSPECTS EOR THE FUTURE. 

1. The word of God tells us that " the children of Israel 
shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, 
and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without 
an ephod, and without teraphim : afterward shall the chil- 
dren of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and 
David their king ; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness 
in the latter days." x We are well aware that it has been 
many centuries since Israel has had any of the forms of 
worship mentioned in this Scripture. These words have 
been and are being literally fulfilled. We are glad, how- 
ever, that it does say that there will be a return on the part of 
the people towards the Lord and towards their King. It does 
not here say that in the latter times they will return and 
build up the city of Jerusalem and again establish them- 
selves by the offering of their sacrifices and the restoration 
of their temple service ; 2 it does say that they will return 
and seek the Lord their God, and David their king. 

2. This, therefore, naturally raises the question, What 
are the prospects for the Jews for the future ? It is clear 
to the Bible student who is at all familiar with the word of 
God that we are living in the last times, and that we have 
reached the period mentioned in these verses of Scripture 
as recorded in the book of Hosea. We must conclude that 

(316) 'Hosea 3 : 4, 5. 2 Hosea 2:11. 



PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE 3 I 7 

in the proclamation of the gospel of Christ to the world in 
these latter times, the Jewish people have a future as bright 
as any of the people in this world, since the gospel must 
also include them. 3 

3. From what has been written m the preceding pages 
of this book, we feel certain that the reader has had awak- 
ened in his heart a desire to do something to show an in- 
terest in behalf of the Jewish people. 4 If this be true with 
every person who shall read the foregoing lines, w*e believe 
that, with the blessing of the Lord, there will be an inter- 
est aroused in behalf of gospel work among this people. 
There are brighter times for them ; this is evident from the 
word of God. When we speak of brighter times, we mean 
that, ere the blessed Messiah shall return in power and 
great glory, the gospel of the grace of God will be given 
to the Jews, and many of them, according to the Scripture, 
will return and seek the Lord their God and David their 
king. 

4. And why should there not be a returning of them ? 
It is true that the Jew has been a hard man to reach with 
the gospel of grace for many hundreds of years, but we 
feel confident that the time has come when the Holy Spirit 
will work for the Jews, by making them to understand 
that much of the work which has been conducted under 
the guise of the Christian religion during these many cen- 
turies, and which has been so bitter towards the Jewish 
people, was no part of Christianity. The Lord God of Is- 
rael is still able to work for the Jews as He has worked for 

3 Matt. 24 : 14. 4 Esther 9 . 3, Revised Version. 



3 I 8 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

them in days gone by ; 5 and according to the Scriptures 
we have come to that period. 

5. In fact there is a tremendous change of sentiment 
taking place among the Jewish people themselves. There 
never has been a period when the Jews were in the con- 
dition that they are at the present time. They are broken 
up in many fragments. First, there are the two great di- 
visions ; namely, Orthodox and Reform Judaism. The first 
class claim to be the successors of the Pharisaical Jews of 
New Testament times ; the second class profess to have 
little left of the faith which was once delivered to their an- 
cestors. They have, but little faith in the inspiration of 
the Bible, either of the Old Testament or of the New. To 
the Reform Jew the Bible is inspired like many other great 
books ; and the writers of the Sacred Volume, in the esti- 
mation of this class of Jews, were inspired as have been 
the writers of many of the great works of to-day. The 
books and the men are alike to them. . They are not prej- 
udiced against religion of any kind, but pride themselves 
upon their large^mount of liberality. As far as this class 
is concerned, Judaism is of no value from a religious stand- 
point ; to be a Jew means to be of a certain class of people 
of a peculiar nationality. With them there is no Bible, no 
God of Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob, no prophecies, no won- 
derful or divine miraculous history, no hope of a Messiah, 
to come either once or twice. 

6. The first class, or Orthodox Judaism, is passing 
through a very trying experience It has many subdi* 

•'-■'••- •' sisa. 59- 1. ■■- • 



PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE 319 

visions. In this country, in England, and in other so-called 
civilized and enlightened lands, Orthodox Judaism is pass- 
ing through strange metamorphoses, and it appears that 
soon its entire original form will be cast off. The older 
generation of Jews, those who were reared among the 
Ghettos, and who have been mentioned in the earlier chap- 
ters of this book, is fast passing away. They are dying 
with sad and broken hearts because the old-time, strict, 
Orthodox Judaism is rapidly declining. The middle gen- 
eration, the class who have come in contact with modern 
civilization, and who have been affected by its influences 
and environments, are coming to see that their consciences 
have been wrongly educated, and the bondage of rabbinical 
tradition must be cast aside. This class is wavering ; it is 
halting betwixt two opinions, 6 leaning, however, to the side 
away from the old sturdy, strict rabbinical forms. This 
class attends the synagogue, when it cannot lose much 
business by so doing. This class will observe the more 
strict and rigid holidays, provided that it can secure faith- 
ful substitutes to attend to the busy cares, except that on 
the Day of Atonement and on the New- Year's Day the 
business must be entirely suspended. This class is practi- 
cally letting go its grip, and is drifting from its mooring. 
But still it calls itself Orthodox Judaism. 

7. This class of orthodox Jews still has a form of a faith 
in the coming of the Messiah, and is willing to read things 
religious when it can, especially when any of these Jews 
come in contact with men in business and social life. But 

*1 Kings 18 : 21. 



320 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

they are by no means pious, and are not at all burdened 
with their religion. If they sustain the up-keep of the 
rabbi and the synagogue, it is because occasionally they 
feel that they may wish to go there to a service, or perhaps 
the good wife is still devout and zealous, and the children 
must not be brought up entirely faithless and unbelieving. 
To this class of orthodox Jews the Bible is still the word 
of God, yet not as it was to their fathers. It does not 
carry the sacredness which the holy oracles carried with 
the older generation. By this class of orthodox Jews the 
Sabbath cannot be observed because it interferes with 
their business, and the holidays are very nice if they have 
the time to be with their families more than on ordinary 
days. These Jews say, the age now is of that character 
that they must accommodate themselves to their surround- 
ings, and to the building up of the present-day institutions. 
To this class of orthodox Jews the religion of Christ is not 
so vile and so wicked as it seemed to their parents, save 
that they know very little about it from a practical stand- 
point, as they have never seen it lived, only as manifested 
in modern commercial life. ( To this class the New Testa- 
ment might not be so very bad, if they only knew what it 
contained. Some few of them have read it, but one great 
reason why the larger part have not read it, is because they 
have never taken the trouble to do so, or because no one 
has ever interested himself in these Jews to offer it to them. 
8. The rising generation of the orthodox Jews has very 
little use for orthodoxy as a religion. The younger men 
and women attend synagogue very little, if at all ; they 
know little comparatively what is meant by the orthodox 



PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE 32 I 

religion of the Jews, they know but little of the teachings 
of the Bible or of the synagogue, and they are interested 
in the religion only while young, because their parents tell 
them ihat it is right to be an orthodox Jew. It is the 
proper thing to go to synagogue sometimes. They have 
no personal knowledge of the law, the prophets, the Tal- 
mud, or the teachings of the rabbis. To this class the syn- 
agogue or the services of {he Jews mean very little, and 
the rabbi is of little service. The festivals are so many 
occasions for an extra day's vacation, and some of the days 
set apart as times of memorial of God's dealing with His 
people are pleasantly spent in dances, in balls, or in whist, 
parties. The Day of Atonement is not really a day to 
fast, only one must keep up a semblance of the form, for 
he is an orthodox Jew. It is perfectly right and proper 
not to labor on that day, as it is necessary to take account 
of stock at some time, and then business must be sus- 
pended semi-occasionally to prepare for either the fall or 
the spring styles of clothing or other forms of apparel. 

9. This class of Orthodox Judaism has no use for the 
synagogue after it reaches the age of responsibility. It 
has not forgotten that it is orthodox, because its parents 
have so taught it. This class knows that somewhere the 
rabbi said something about the Tnach, the Bible, the 
Torak, the law, and the Sider, the prayer-book. But these 
words are simply terms, and if these people do not know 
what they mean, they can ask their father, for he still 
knows. Religion to this class means something that their 
grandparents once possessed ; and their parents yet have a 
little, only it is not a very necessary essential. The rabbis, 
21 



32 2 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

to this class, are a class of people who used to try to make 
laws for their grandfathers to observe, so that they could 
get money without working. Of course they cannot ob- 
serve the laws of milk and meat, and it will not bother any 
one if they do eat food that has not the kosher, lawful 
stamp, upon the meat.(^) The Jews of this class do not 
object to listening to a religious service among Christian 
people, but of their own accord.it would not be expected 
for them to go to a Christian church, since they do not in- 
terest themselves to go even to their synagogue. They do 
not seriously object to the New Testament if ever one 
comes their way ; of course they do not believe it to be in- 
spired as they were taught the Old Testament is inspired, 
since they have been told that it is not really the best kind 
of book for one to read. They will not seriously oppose 
it, nor are they particularly in its favor. This class is 
practically neutral. 

10. The orthodox Jews are divided into the three classes 
mentioned, and we believe from actual knowledge, expe- 
rience, and observation this is a fair description of Ortho- 
dox and Reform Judaism. However, there is another 
growing class of Jews not included in either of the two 
great divisions, and they are beginning to make themselves 
known and felt. Their influence is spreading in this coun- 
try as well as in Europe, and their synagogues are begin- 
ning to make themselves a factor in the religious life of 
the Jews. This class is what might be termed a progress- 
ive class. They are not exactly like the Reform Jew, be- 
cause they do believe in a measure that the Bible is the 
word of God, even though their view of inspiration is not 



PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE 323 

really orthodox ; they are not like the orthodox Jews be- 
cause they have no use whatever for the Talmud, the rab- 
binical learning of the wise men of the ages, nor of the 
prayer-book, nor the rites and customs of the orthodox syn- 
agogue. This class of Jews believe that one of the great 
needs of the Jew is the New Testament. These Jews 
claim that one of the great factors of the religious life of 
the Jewish people has been omitted, because the Jew has 
not read or accepted the New Testament. While these 
Jews do not accept the New Testament as the Christian 
does, while this class does not regard the blessed Saviour 
as the divine Son of the living God, many of them do be- 
lieve that there is much for them in the New Testament, 
and there is much for them in the Christian religion. This 
class has created quite a stir in Jewry in almost every land, 
and as a result Judaism is having perplexing times. Among 
the many breaks which have occurred in Judaism during 
the past twenty or even ten years, it would seem that there 
is almost a revolution going on through Jewry. It is a fact 
that the foundations of many generations are being razed, 
and many of the Jews are trying to find out where they 
belong and what they believe. 

11. I have particularly devoted space to this phase of 
the Jewish question, because I believe that over and above 
it all, there is a divine providence at work to prepare the 
Jews for the reception of the pure and undiluted gospel of 
the blessed Christ as it shall be presented to them in these 
latter times. The anchor of the Jews is loosening. A 
prominent business man said to me : 

" I suppose I am a Jew ; but I am like a man without 



324 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

any hope. I do not know what I believe ; I feel as though 
there was nothing to tie to." 

The bonds which have held the Jews together for nearly 
nineteen hundred years — the Talmud and the system of 
rabbinism — are rapidly being loosed, and the Holy Spirit 
is surely and steadily preparing the way to make many of 
the lost sheep of the house of Israel free in the blessed 
Christ. 7 

12. The old, pious, orthodox Jew, who is so extremely 
bitter towards Christianity, still has a great love for the 
T'nac/i, the Bible. To him it is still the word of God. 
He remains firm in the belief that the Lord gave that book 
to his ancestors, and he still has faith in the God of Abra- 
ham, Isaac, and Jacob. If this man can be impressed by 
the Holy Spirit that all these prophecies in the Bible are 
fulfilled in the blessed Jesus, then surely there is hope for 
him. With him the scales are still upon his eyes. He is 
yet blinded by the veil. 8 While he still adheres to the 
idea that the Christian religion is a bitter and persecuting 
religion, while he knows that Russia is still persecuting 
the Jew in the name of Christianity, he clings to the Bible 
and to the Talmud. If he can see that Jesus is the true 
and the holy Messiah, and that the rabbis have perverted 
the ways of the Lord because of the Jews' rejecting the 
Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, when He was here to redeem 
Israel, the scales will fall from his eyes, and he will sec 
that there is hope for him in God through the Messiah. 9 
If then, too, he shall learn that the Messiah is soon to re- 

7 John 8 : 32-30. 8 2 Cor. 3 : 1 4, 15. ^Acts 2 : 38, 39 ; 3 : 20 ; 
20 : 0, 7 ; 28 : 20. 



PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE 325 

turn to earth, and this Messiah who shall come the second 
time is none other than the Jesus of Nazareth who was 
here nineteen hundred years ago — when these things are 
made plain to his understanding, and he learns that the re- 
ligion of Jesus is not a perverted religion of the Bible, his 
heart will surely rejoice, and he will thank God for the 
blessed and glorious truth of the word of God, as revealed 
in Moses and the prophets. 10 It may mean a hard battle, 
it may mean much persecution, it may mean bitter oppo- 
sition, it may mean the wasting of much precious seed ; but 
the word of the Lord says that they will return and seek 
the Lord their God, and David their king. The Saviour 
worked among them for many years, and saw little results 
of His direct labors ; but the fruits appeared in due time." 
These were the first-fruits, and they were abundant. 12 It 
was the Saviour Himself who said that seventy-five per 
cent of the seed would be liable to go to waste, but a good 
harvest would be produced from the remaining twenty-five 
per cent. 13 

13. The other classes of orthodox Jews who do not have 
such bitter prejudices, who are not so saturated with 
hatred against Christianity, who are coming in contact 
with modern life and civilization, can be reached with litera- 
ture, with the preaching of the gospel, with the New Tes- 
tament, with the word of God in its various forms. True 
they may not go out of their way, for a time, to hear the 
truth of God ; I4 but w r e believe that, if the seed shall be 
sown, there will be an awakening, and God in his own good 

"Acts 26 : 22. "John 4 : 37, 38. I2 Acts 2 : 41 ; 4:4; 21 : 20. 
I3 Matt. 13 : 1-9. l4 Eze. 3:4-7; Matt. 10 ; 6. 



326 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

time will bring about marvelous results. The class who 
are advocating the reading of the New Testament and who 
believe that there are many things in the Christian religion 
for them, are surely hopeful, even though their faith in Christ 
may not be so strong as we could wish. The Lord God of 
Israel is yet able to draw a Paul, to convict a Peter, to at- 
tract a Gamaliel, and to convince a Nicodemus. Jesus 
Christ still has the power to win a Joseph of Arimathea, 
and to enable a Barnabas to lay his wealth at the feet of 
this most blessed Saviour. A large company of priests 
may yet be added to the faithful in the Lord, and thousands 
of Jews may yet be led to the feet of their divine Lord and 
Master. 

1 4. Why may not this be possible ? Paul prayed that 
Israel might be saved. 15 The apostle tells us that God has 
not cast away His people whom He foreknew. 16 The word 
of the Lord tells us they are still beloved for the fathers' 
sakes. 17 We are encouraged in the word of God to believe 
that there is yet a remnant of the literal seed who will help 
swell the number of the true remnant that shall stand on 
Mount Zion. 18 The fig-tree, though it was cursed many 
centuries ago, will yet put forth some leaves. 19 Jesus 
Christ was born the King of the Jews, and died the King 
of the Jews. 20 Why shall not some of His own brethren 
in the flesh help to bring back the King ? 21 It is true the 
call goes to them the last, but why may they not have the 
privilege of helping to bring Him back ? It is true that 



15 Rom. 10:1. l6 Rom. 11:2. I7 Rom. 11 : 28. "Rom. 11:5; 9:27,28; 

Rev. 14:1. ^Matt. 21 : 19 ; Luke 13: 6-9; Matt. 24:32. 

80 Matt. 2:2; Luke 23 : 38. 21 2 Sam. 19 : 11, 12. 



PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE 327 

they lost their hope because of the rejection of Him by 
their ancestors, but the callings of God are without repent- 
ance. 22 It is true that some of the natural branches were 
broken off because of unbelief. It is true that other 
branches were brought in to take the place of those who 
were broken off. 23 It is true that for many centuries the 
lost sheep of Israel have had very little of the King's meat, 
and have known little of the King's feast. 24 God is able 
to graft them in again, if they remain not in unbelief. 
But faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of 
God. 2S 

15. Since the Gentiles received the mercy of God 
through the unbelief of the Jews, surely the Jews should 
receive the mercy of God through the actions of the Gen- 
tiles in winning them back to the Saviour. 26 They have 
lost their King ; they have lost their Friend and Saviour. 
Let us do all in our power to bring to them their own King. 
The Bible assures all the believers that there will be gathered 
on Mount Zion people from every tribe, every nation, 
every kindred, and every tongue. 27 This must include the 
Jews. They will be there ; for it was the Israelites who 
sang the song of Moses, 28 and why should not the Israelites 
sing the song of the Lamb ? True all those who do sing 
the song of Moses and the Lamb will be real Israelites, but 
why may not some of His own flesh and of His own bone ? 
The Bible assures us there will be some of them there ; 
and we know that the prospects for the future are bright 



22 Rom. 11 : 29. "Rom. 11 : 16-18. 24 2 Sam. 19 : 41, 42. 25 Rom. 11 : 23. 
26 Rom. 11 :30, 31. 27 Rev. 14 : 6-14 ; Rev. 14, : 1. 28 Exodus 15. 



328 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

and cheerful. It is true that Joseph's brethren sold him, 
but he himself said that God had sent him before to pre- 
serve life for them. 29 While it is true that the Jews had a 
part in putting the Saviour to death, He has gone to pre- 
pare a way for them that they may in Him find life, and have 
it more abundantly. 30 He still loves the lost sheep of the 
house of Israel, and still His voice is calling to them, 
Come home. 

16. Let us do all in our power as hunters and fishers to 
throw out the gospel net to these lost ones of Israel. Let 
us make manifest to them the true gospel of the divine 
Son of God. Let us remember that if we seek the stray- 
ing sheep of the fold, we shall be rewarded in finding the 
lost sheep ; and these Jews who have been wandering and 
straying in the mountains away from the true fold because 
of having lost their way, shall yet bring joy and gladness 
to^the heart of the Father and the Saviour, when the lost 
have been found, and the dead have been brought to life. 31 

17. Doubtless it will bring joy and happiness to the 
heart of the dear Master as He returns in the clouds of 
heaven with power and great glory to find among the re- 
deemed who have been waiting for Him, some of His own 
brethren who will, with the saved of God, look up and say, 
" This is our God ; we have waited for Him, and He will save 
us : this is the Lord ; we have waited for Him, we will be 
glad and rejoice in His salvation. " ^ 

18. We cannot close this work in a more fitting way 
than by quoting the words of one who has said many 

2 *Gen. 45 : 5. 30 Acts 4 : 26, 27 ; John 1:1-3; John 10 : 10. 3I Jer. 10:1 ; 
Luke 15 : 3-0, 24-32. 32 Isa. 25 : 9. 



PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE 329 

encouraging things concerning the work for the Jews and 
the prospects for the future : 

"The time has come when the Jews are to be given light. 
The Lord wants us to encourage and sustain men who 
shall labor in right lines for this people ; for there are to 
be a multitude convinced of the truth, who will take their 
stand for God. The time is coming when there will be as 
many converted in a day as there were on the day of Pente- 
cost, after the disciples had received the Holy Spirit. The 
Jews are to be a power to labor for the Jews ; and we are 
to see the salvation of God. We are altogether too nar- 
row ; we need to be broader minded." 

" There is a mighty work to be done in our world. The 
Lord has declared that the Gentiles shall be gathered in, 
and not the Gentiles only, but the Jews. There are among 
the Jews many who will be converted, and we shall see the 
salvation of God going forth as a lamp that burnetii." 

19. " There are Jews everywhere, and to them the light of 
present truth is to be brought, that they may have an op- 
portunity to accept it. There are among the Jews many 
who will come to the light, and who will proclaim the im- 
mutability of the law of God with wonderful power. The 
Lord God will work. He will do wonderful things in 
righteousness." 

20. " The slumbering faculties of the Jewish people are 
to be aroused. The Old Testament Scriptures, blending 
with the New, will be to them as the dawning of a new 
creation, or the resurrection of the soul. . . . Souls will be 
saved from the Jewish nation, as the doors of the New 
Testament are unlocked with the key of the Old. Christ 



330 JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY 

will be recognized as the Saviour of the world, as it is seen 
how clearly the New Testament explains the old. Many 
of the Jewish people will by faith receive Christ as their 
Redeemer. . . . They will be made partakers of the divine 
nature. The image of divinity will be stamped upon their 
souls." 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 

Paragraph 9 (a). — There are threa texts of Scripture in the Old Testa- 
ment which contain these words : " Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his 
mother's milk." Ex. 23 : 19 ; 34 : 26 ; Deut. 14 : 21. Upon this 
statement the rabbis have built up a great system of dietetic, hygienic, 
and sanitary arrangements which enter into every detail of every-day 
life, and have stoutly maintained that they comprehend the idea of 
not eating milk and meat at the same meal. The Jewish home there- 
fore, has to maintain two sets of dishes, one for the use of milk, 
butter, and cream, the other for flesh and fatty substances derived 
from the meat. People who do not observe this difference are exe- 
crated and anathematized, and. are regarded as apostates from 
Judaism. 



APPENDIX. 



In the following pages are appended a number of Jewish customs and 
certain laws given to Israel, which will be found helpful in illuminating 
many texts of Scripture, in addition to the ordinances, customs, and laws 
given in the body of the work. The apostle Paul said that the Jew had 
an advantage, chiefly because that unto him were committed the oracles of 
God. See Romans 3:1,2. 

Many of these customs and ordinances were introduced by the rabbis 
and teachers in Israel ; but the knowledge of them assists in making clear 
many Bible texts to the ordinary reader who is not familiar with these 
customs of the sons of Abraham. 

I. GENEALOGY OF CHRIST; THE HARMONY OF 
LUKE AND MATTHEW. 

To many persons there seems to be an error or else a 
discrepancy in the genealogies in the books of Matthew 
and Luke concerning Christ as the Son of David. It ap- 
pears on the surface as though the writers of these books 
did not have a correct understanding of the genealogy of 
the ancestors of the Saviour, or else there must be a dis- 
crepancy in the translating of the original text. We are 
persuaded that if the laws of Israel on this subject 
and the customs of the Jews are fully understood, perfect 
harmony will be seen in the two accounts as given 
by the different writers, and the truth of the word of God 

as the inspired testimony of heaven will still be maintained. 

(331) 



332 APPENDIX 

We will first consider an ancient prophecy given by the 
patriarch Jacob, which has a bearing on this subject. Then 
we will trace the laws of Israel as given to the people in 
the days of Moses, and finally follow the theme to the times 
of our Lord. It is a fact that Christ must have come from 
the family of David, for He was so recognized by the people 
of His day. If there were any doubts or questions in the 
minds of the people at that time, they had all the oppor- 
tunity in the world to look up the facts, and to dispute His 
claims or the claims of the disciples or of the people who 
recognized Him as the Messiah. But nowhere do we 
find any record of any dispute concerning the claims of 
Christ to be the Son of David. 

Here is the prophecy : " The scepter shall not depart 
from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until 
Shiloh come ; and unto him shall the gathering of the peo- 
ple be." Gen. 49: 10. The reader will at once recognize 
this as part of the benediction which the patriarch Jacob 
pronounced upon his twelve sons just prior to his decease. 
For thousands of years the Jews of all classes have believed 
and have stoutly maintained that this is a prophecy con- 
cerning the King Messiah. The leading commentators 
from the days of the Great Synagogue, several hundred 
years before Christ, have all united in teaching that this 
prophecy was a divine prediction concerning the Messiah, 
the Son of David. All the leading teachers and scholars 
from that day forward have taught in the same manner ; 
and there is scarcely an exception to this idea among the 
Jews who have believed the word of God. It is therefore 
clear that the unanimous sentiment of the Jews concerning 



APPENDIX 333 

this text of Scripture is that its fulfilment will take place 
in the Messiah. 

Now let -us consider the text itself : " The scepter shall 
not depart from Judah," etc. 

The word translated in this verse " scepter," is also 
translated in many other places " tribe." In nearly one 
hundred and fifty texts in the Scriptures the Hebrew word, 
Shavet, here in Gen. 49 : 10, translated " scepter," is trans- 
lated " tribe." The same word, only in its plural form, is 
also translated in a number of places, u tribes." Perhaps 
we will here give a few texts to illustrate this point : 

" The priests, the Levites, and all the tribe [Shavet] of 
Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel." 
Deut. 18 : 1. 

'■ So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought 
Israel by their tribes ; and the tribe [Shave f\ of Judah was 
taken." Joshua 7 : 16. 

" And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose 
up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the 
hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes 
[Shiv-ta, plural of Shave t\ of Israel." Ex. 24 : 4. 

" And the Lord shall separate him unto evil out of all the 
tribes [Shiv-ta 9 plural of Shave t] of Israel, according to all 
the curses of the covenant that are written in this book of 
the law." Deut. 29 : 21. 

From these texts, as well as from many more which 
might be quoted, it will be observed that the Hebrew 
word, Shavet, also means tribe, tribes, as well as scepter. 
In fact the word itself very clearly suggests the idea of the 
tribe or of the tribal distinction. This meaning has been 



334 APPENDIX 

applied to it in the Scripture for millenniums, and is used 
proverbially among the Jews everywhere to this day. 
Then the word scepter has the idea of tribe and tribal dis- 
tinction associated with it. This will be seen much more 
clearly as other scriptures are considered. 

The text in Gen. 49 : 10 therefore may be read, The 
tribal distinction shall not depart from Judah, etc., till 
Shiloh come. The question therefore would naturally 
arise, Were there tribal distinctions ? and was each tribe 
distinct from the others ? This will be made more clear 
as we consider the arrangement which the Lord Himself 
made through Moses for the recognition of the tribes. 

If the reader will take the time to carefully peruse the 
first eight chapters of the book of Numbers, he will find in 
these chapters the arrangement the Lord gave to Moses 
for all the tribes in their organized capacity. It was sim- 
ply giving each tribe its place and its position as related to 
every other tribe. In Num. 1 : 52, we read the following : 

" And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, 
every man by his own camp, and every man by his own 
standard, throughout their hosts." In the next chapter 
we read the following instruction : 

" And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, 
saying, Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by 
his own standard, with the ensign of their father's house : 
far off about the tabernacle o* *he congregation shall they 
pitch." Num. 2:1,2. 

It will be seen from these Scriptures that each tribe had 
its positions, and its own standard. Each tribe was known 
and recognized by its own ensign, which was different from 



APPENDIX 335 

all the others. Then all the heads of the families of the 
tribes were registered by their pedigrees and genealogies, 
and thus every man in every family in every tribe was 
placed on record for future use and for future generations. 
See Num. i : 17-54 ; Num. 3 : 1-43. 

In this way was the census of Israel taken, recorded, and 
placed on file, and each tribe was known by its own tribal 
distinction. This was the Lord's wish for Israel, and this 
was the Lord's own plan. Already the law had been in 
operation that the census should be taken of the males 
only, and they should be placed on record ; that is, the 
fathers of the families. See Num. 1 : 19, 20, 22. This 
law continued in effect until a peculiar condition arose, 
which brought about a different law in Israel. It was as 
follows : 

" Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, . . . and 
they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and 
before the princes and all the congregation, . . . saying, 
Our father died in the wilderness, . . . and had no sons. 
Why should the name of our father be done away from 
among his family, because he hath no son ? Give unto us 
therefore a possession among the brethren of our father. 
And Moses brought their cause before the Lord. 

"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, The 
daughters of Zelophehad speak right : thou shalt surely 
give them a possession of an inheritance among their 
father's brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance %£ 
their father to pass unto them. And thou shalt speak 
unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have 
no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his 



336 APPENDIX 

daughter. And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give 
his inheritance unto his brethren. . . And it shall be unto 
the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the Lord 
commanded Moses." Num. 27: 1-11. 

From this it will be seen that the original law was the 
sons should be the successors to the fathers, and only they 
should have the inheritance. But by this additional law 
which the Lord made for the people through Moses, the 
family which had no sons, but had daughters, should share 
the same rights and" privileges as the families that had 
sons. If there were no daughters, then the dowry and 
property should pass on to the nearest relatives. Thus 
we see by this additional law a privilege had been 
given the females in Israel, which had never been given to 
them before. The property of the tribe which was their 
fathers, should go to them if they had no brothers. 

Some time later, another difficulty arose, which needed 
still further adjustment, and the case was again brought 
before Moses. The difficulty this time was as follows : 

" And the chief fathers of the families of the children of 
Gilead, . . . came near, and spake before Moses, and be- 
fore the princes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel : 
and they said, The Lord commanded my lord to give the 
land for inheritance by lot to the children of Israel [See 
Num. 26: 52-56 ; 33 : 50-54] : and my lord was commanded 
by the Lord to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our 
brother unto his daughters. And if they be married to 
any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, 
then shall their inheritance be taken from the inheritance 
of our fathers, and shall be put to the inheritance 



APPENDIX 337 

of the tribe whereunto they are received : so shall it be 
taken from the lot of our inheritance. And when the jubi- 
lee of the children of Israel shall be, then shall their in- 
heritance be put unto the inheritance of the tribe where- 
unto they are received : so shall theii inheritance be taken 
away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers." 
Numbers 36 : 1-4. 

That is to say, the law in existence was that when a 
girl was married to a person of a different tribe, even 
though now she had become the possessor of a certain por- 
tion of the tribal land by virtue of there being no brothers 
in the family, the land which she and her family had would 
now revert to the family of the young man whom she mar- 
ried. This land would be kept in that family of the young 
man she married till the time of the jubilee. Since now 
there were no boys in the family of the girl who married 
this man of the other tribe, the land would then forever 
revert to the family of the man she married ; and ever 
after, the tribe and the family of the girl would forever lose 
that part of the estate. In other words : An eternal mort- 
gage would be held by the family and the tribe of the young 
man whom this girl married. The leading men of this 
tribe saw a great danger that was involved in this thing, 
for there was a great possibility of one tribe's getting even- 
tual possession of land which rightfully and lawfully be- 
longed to another tribe. In this' way much evil might be 
wrought in the land. Moses at once recognized the point, 
and made the following statement : 

" And Moses commanded the children of Israel accord- 
ing to the word of the Lord, saying, The tribe of the sons 
22 



338 APPENDIX 

of Joseph hath said well. This is the thing which the Lord 
doth command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, 
saying, Let them marry to whom they think best ; only 
to the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry. 
So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel re- 
move from tribe to tribe : for every one of the children of 
Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of 
his fathers. And every daughter, that possesseth an in- 
heritance in any tribe of the children of Israel, shall be 
wife unto one of the family of the tribe of her father, that 
the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance 
of his fathers. Neither shall the inheritance remove from 
one tribe to another tribe ; but every one of the tribes of 
the children of Israel shall keep himself to his own inher- 
itance. Even as the Lord commanded Moses, so did the 
daughters of Zelophehad : . . . and their inheritance re- 
mained in the tribe of the family of their father." Num- 
bers 36 : 5-12. 

Then the Lord made another new law which at once 
went into effect. Ever after when a young woman in Israel, 
wished to be married, she might marry the man of her 
choice, only she was restricted to marrying a man of her 
own tribe. She could not marry a man of any other tribe 
outside her own tribe. By this new law the land would 
remain among the tribes as their own, even though there 
might be some families where there were no boys, but only 
girls. This being so, the girls would be registered as the 
heirs of their father's estate till they were marriageable ; 
then when they were espoused and married, the land would 
still remain in the same tribe, but of course it would ever 



APPENDIX 339 

after be recognized as the property of the men they mar- 
ried, but it would not be outside their own individual tribe. 
This is a wonderful law, yet certainly a simple and a beau- 
tiful one. It has a meaning and a deep significance. 

Now with these few facts before us in regard to these 
original laws of Israel, let us revert to the original text 
concerning the prophecy given by the patriarch Jacob. 
We have already seen how the word scepter in Gen. 49 : 10 
is in many places rendered " tribe " and " tribes." We have 
also seen that the tribes referred to are the tribes of Israel ; 
for they are the only ones the Bible takes cognizance of as 
being the people of God ; that is, the sons of Jacob, the 
twelve tribes, are the tribes which the Lord counts as His 
own people. Here is the word of God to confirm this 
thought : 

"When the Most High divided to the nations their in- 
heritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the 
bounds of the people according to the number of the chil- 
dren of Israel. For the Lord's portion is his people; Ja- 
cob is the lot of his inheritance." Deut. 32 : 8, 9. This is 
just as true of the spiritual twelve tribes who are made 
heirs of God by faith in Jesus Christ. See James 1:1; 
Gal. 6 : 16 ; 3 : 8, 9, 14, 29 ; Rom. 8 : 14-17 ; 4:13, 14. 

It must therefore be clear that the thought of the proph- 
ecy of Genesis 49:10 is as follows : "The scepter [the 
tribe and tribal distinction] shall not depart from Judah, 
nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come ; 
and unto him shall the gathering of the people be." 

That is to say, according to this prophecy the tribal dis- 
tinction of Judah should remain intact till the Messiah 



340 APPENDIX 

came : and after the Messiah came, then there would not 
be any tribal distinction, not even Judah ; but all people 
would be called by the Messiah instead of being called by 
any definite tribes. 

Now let us follow the history of the tribes briefly. From 
the time of Jacob till the days of Rehoboam, the son of 
Solomon, the twelve tribes were kept together intact. At 
this time there came a disruption, and ten of the tribes re- 
volted from the king Rehoboam, and they made for them- 
selves a king by the name of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 
See I Kings 12:19, 20. This sedition, however, was indi- 
rectly part of the fulfilment of prophecy ; for when the 
king and some of his people who were left, wished to go to 
war to recapture, if possible, the ten tribes which had se- 
ceded from the kingdom, there came a message from God, 
saying, " Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor 
fight against your brethren the children of Israel : return 
every man to his house ; for this thing is of me. They 
hearkened therefore to the word of the Lord, and returned 
to depart, according to the word of the Lord." 1 Kings 
12:23, 24. 

The ten tribes having revolted, there was left Benjamin 
and Judah. 1 Kings 12 :2i, 23. But the two tribes were 
practically united in one, and they both went under the 
name of one tribe. See 1 Kings 12:17, 20. It had been 
prophesied many years before that this should even be so. 
1 Kings 11 :9-i3, 30-37. So ever after this, the twelve 
tribes were known as the house of Israel and the house of 
Judah. The house of Israel was recognized as the ten 
tribes, and the house of Judah as the two tribes ; namely, 



APPENDIX 341 

Judah and Benjamin. See Jer. 31 131; Heb. 8 : 8-12. 

For about two hundred and fifty years the ten tribes 
had their own government and their own kings, but the 
rule among these people was both wicked and cruel. Dur- 
ing these many decades the Lord God of Israel had raised 
up many prophets and seers to warn, to plead, and to ad- 
monish them. But the kings and the people would not 
heed these divine admonitions. Finally the Lord raised up 
the king of Assyria to remove Israel from His sight, and 
with his army this king came to Samaria, the capital of the 
ten tribes, and took away the people of Israel, and placed 
them far away from the capital of their kingdom, in the 
land of " Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and 
in the cities of the Medes. For so it was, that the children 
of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, which 
had brought them up out of the land of Egypt." 2 Kings 
17:6, J.. These ten tribes became mixed with the people 
in these nations where they were carried, and lost their 
tribal identity and tribal distinction. 

This therefore left the two tribes, but they went under 
the name of the tribe of Judah. There were many kings 
over them who were evil, and there were some who were 
good. But their sinfulness and wickedness so increased 
that the time came when the Lord was obliged to send 
them into captivity, and finally they were taken captives 
under the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and 
were sent into the Babylonian land for a period of captivity. 
But the Lord had promised Judah that he should be re- 
leased from his captivity. He had even told him before 
He sent Judah into captivity how long a time He would 



34^ APPENDIX 

let him remain there, the time being seventy years. See 
Jer. 25:11, 12 ; 29 : 10-14. At the close of this seventy 
years, the Lord raised up a man, even Cyrus, king of Per- 
sia, and he made a proclamation for the return of the peo- 
ple of the land to the land of Israel. See 2 Chron. 36 : 
20-23 y Ezra 1 : 1-10. 

For some years after the return of Judah to Jerusalem, 
the people repaired the city and their houses. But there 
came a time when they wished the worship of God to be 
reinstated. To do this, there must be a certain class of 
people who had been selected to carry on this sacred 
work ; namely, the priests. There came forward certain 
men who claimed to belong to that class, and who wished 
to perform the holy functions. The leaders of the people 
demanded proof of them that they were of this class of 
persons. The only way they could prove their right was 
by the records which were preserved, and which gave the 
genealogy of each person. These men therefore sought 
the record for their pedigree, but they did not find it. 
They were therefore forbidden to perform the sacred work 
of God. See Ezra 2 :6i, 62. 

So that for nearly fifteen hundred years, from the days 
of the sons of Jacob and from the days of Moses, the 
names of the sons of the family were recorded in the books 
of their tribes, and the daughters were also recognized, if 
there were no sons in that particular family of a given 
tribe. But when the girl was married, then the estate of 
her part of the tribe was reckoned in with that of her hus- 
band, and it was counted as belonging to the husband, only 
it still remained in the tribe. 



APPENDIX 343 

After the return of the captivity of Judah, the genealog- 
ical records were still preserved, and every family was 
registered as hitherto. The ten tribes, as distinct tribes, 
were now no more, and their tribal identity was neither ob- 
served, nor kept, nor recognized ; but if was kept in the 
tribe of Judah. 

Then again : for many centuries it was observed in Israel 
that when a young man married into the family, he was 
not merely regarded as a son-in-law, but was counted as a 
son. See i Samuel 18 : 17, 1 8, 20, 22, 23, 27 ; 24:9-11, 
16 ; 26 : 17, 21. The young man was then counted as one 
of the family. It is true that there were times when the 
people of God did not regard strictly the command of the 
Lord in marrying only in the tribes. This was true of 
many people, still the law was there, and it should have 
been obeyed. Nevertheless, in general, the law was car- 
ried out, and the people carried it out. It was the obli- 
gation of the father of the girl to give the young man a 
dowry, and the young man became as a son in the family. 
If there were no boys in the family, then the young man 
took possession of the land, with the girl, as his dowry, 
and the land remained in the tribe. 

The rabbis, before the time of Christ, did much in ce- 
menting the people together, and made many additional 
laws on the subject of marriage. When the time came 
that Messiah should come into the world, a law went into 
effect that all the world should be taxed. Mary had be- 
come espoused unto Joseph, and at the time of espousal he 
had practically become adopted into the family of Mary ; 
for they were both of the same tribe. Luke 1 : 26, 27; 



344 APPENDIX 

Matt, i : 1 8 ; Luke 2:1-5. "Desire of Ages," chapter 
four, fourth paragraph in chapter. 

When a young man and a young woman decided to be- 
come engaged or espoused for marriage, a rabbi was called 
to officiate at the espousal, called ta-no-im, a betrothal con- 
tract or ceremony. The origin of this ceremony doubtless 
dates back to the days of Ruth and Boaz, and the cere- 
mony which was performed, as recorded in Ruth, chapter 
4:9-11, was really a ceremony of this character, but not 
at that time a real marriage. The marriage took place 
later, and was another ceremony. But this ta-no-im, this 
betrothal ceremony, was a preparatory one to the wedding. 

The Jews to this day, at this betrothal ceremony, have 
the rabbi come, and there must be a number of witnesses 
present. Then there is a contract drawn up which must 
be signed by the prospective bridegroom, and by the spon- 
sors of the bride. This is almost equal to a marriage cere- 
mony, but the contracting parties are not yet lawful husband 
and wife. They do not live together, but live with their 
own people ; but the young man is already considered as 
though he were a son in the family. People so regard 
him, and he regards himself as belonging to the family. 
The time comes later when they are formally married, and 
become husband and wife. 

This is evidently the way it was in Christ's day. The 
Jews so regarded Joseph then, as they knew he was es- 
poused to Mary, and soon they would be married. He 
had practically become as a son in the family, and Luke in 
his record so recognizes it. So instead of mentioning the 
name of Mary as the daughter of Heli (Luke 3 123), Jo- 



APPENDIX 345 

seph is mentioned as the son of Heli, he being known by 
the people of that country as the husband of Mary. And 
everybody supposed that Jesus was the son of Joseph. 
See same verse. Inasmuch as when Luke wrote the gos- 
pel the Saviour had already been in heaven for many years, 
under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, the disciple 
wrote as was the custom and belief of the Jews, and as 
had been the custom of the Jews for many years to write, 
and as others would have written. 

Now in the days of the kings of Judah, often when the 
name of a certain king was given, his mother's name would 
be mentioned. But after the captivity, the rabbis had 
made such a wall of separation between men and women 
that the prejudices of the Jews became very strong against 
the weaker sex. But the Holy Spirit sought to break 
down that terrible prejudice, yet when following out the 
law of that time, in writing the life history of the Saviour, 
in Matthew, the Holy Spirit gives us the record of " Joseph, 
the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is 
called Christ" Matt, i : 16. Although the Saviour was 
born of the Holy Ghost, Matt. I : 18-25 ; Luke 1 : 26-32, 
God wanted that His mother should have a lawful pro- 
tector, and that there should be proof that in the flesh Jesus, 
the Messiah, came from the lineage and descent that the 
Bible said He should come. 

Then Luke in his record, under the inspiration of the 
Spirit, gives the lineage of Christ through David, by Na- 
than, until he comes to the husband of Mary, and the peo- 
ple generally supposed that He was the son of Joseph. 
But Joseph, being espoused to Mary, belonging to the fam- 



346 APPENDIX 

ily now on account of his betrothal to her, is brought into 
her family, as he would be the one who would inherit all 
she had, since when he finally married her all the property 
would go into the same tribe, but would be reckoned as 
belonging to him, and from him it would naturally go to 
Jesus, as the people supposed Jesus was the son of Joseph. 

In this way we see how the records agree and harmo- 
nize, and how the law which God originally made in Israel 
was carried out to the letter and detail in the life of the 
blessed Christ. Could this custom and these laws be 
generally known and understood, there would be no diffi- 
culty in understanding the Scriptures and genealogical rec- 
ords in both Matthew and Luke. The word of the Lord 
will stand fast forever. 

But further : The record says that " the scepter [tribal 
distinction] shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver 
from between his feet, until Shiloh come ; and unto him 
shall the gathering of the people be/' Gen. 49 : 10. Does 
history prove this text true ? After Christ came, for many 
years the tribe of Judah still outwardly continued its exist- 
ence. When the Saviour pronounced the terrible woes 
upon the Jews, it was to let them know that nationally 
now they were to come to an end. Forty years after the 
Saviour ascended, the temple and the city of Jerusalem 
were destroyed. The archives of the temple where the 
genealogical and other records were kept were destroyed, 
and from that day to this, there has not been preserved 
the genealogy of the Jews, of the tribe of Judah and of 
Benjamin. No Jew to-day can trace his record back to the 
days of Abraham ; no Jew can truly and literally produce 



APPENDIX 347 

the records of nis tribal ancestry. The ancestry went with 
the land ; since there is no land, there can be no ancestry. 
The land and the ancestry went with the temple service ; 
since now there is no temple service, there can be no di- 
vinely preserved genealogy in this world. 

For nearly two thousand years there have been no tribal 
distinctions. The tribe of Judah has passed away, and has 
lost its distinctively tribal standard ever since the destruc- 
tion of the temple at Jerusalem, and since then the Jews 
have been scattered. Since then, no Jew can really prove 
to which tribe he belongs. It is true the orthodox Jews 
claim a certain traditional tribe, but there is no real proof 
for this. Their belief in this traditional idea is simply 
handed down from father to son, from one generation to 
another. Should the demand be made to-day, as it was 
made in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, for the Jews to 
prove their pedigree, there would not be any place now to 
search for any records. There are none now preserved. 

Thus we see that the tribal distinctions of all the tribes 
have been removed. All their tribal badges are gone, and 
there are none now to prove where the Jews belong. But 
the text said that the tribe of Judah would remain till Shi- 
loh came. Since their tribal distinction is gone, it is clear 
and evident that Shiloh, the Messiah, must have come. 

But the text said that after Shiloh came, then the people 
would gather unto Him. There would be no more tribal 
recognition ; there would be no more tribal gatherings. 
People would no more call themselves in this world as be- 
longing to a certain tribe. There would then not be any 
people or peoples who would say that they had certain 



348 APPENDIX 

distinctive signs or marks that they belonged unto a certain 
tribe. • But after that time, when the Shiloh or Messiah, 
came, the people would gather unto Him. 

Now what does history prove ? Is there anything that 
will substantiate this statement at the present time ? Let 
us see. It must be clear to all that the Shiloh here in the 
text is the Messiah. If it were necessary, we might bring 
an abundance of proof in addition to what has already been 
produced to prove that this Shiloh is the Messiah. But 
what is meant by the term Messiah ? Here is what the 
Scripture says : 

" He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto 
him, We have found the Messias, which is, being inter- 
preted, the Christ." 

"The woman saith unto him, I know" that Messias Com- 
eth, which is called Christ : when he is come, he will tell 
us all things." John 1:41, margin ; 4:25. 

Here we observe that the term, Messiah, means Christ. 
Now the word, Messiah, is a Hebrew word, and means 
'" anointed." See Psalms 2 :2. But the word, Messiah, 
which in Hebrew is Me-she-ach, is, in the Greek, CJiristos. 
That is, the Hebrew word, Messiah, and the Greek word, 
Christ, mean the same thing ; that is, anointed. Then 
the word Messiah or the word Christ, is anointed. Then 
the text, Gen. 49 : 10, would really mean that the scepter, 
or tribal distinction, would not pass away from Judah, till 
the Messiah, or the Anointed One should come ; after that 
time, after He should come, then the people would gather 
to Him. But the word, Messiah, and the word, Christos, 
are the words from which we get Christ and Christian. 



APPENDIX 349 

When Christ came into this world, we know that God 
anointed Him with the Holy Ghost and with power. Mark 
I 19-11 ; Acts 10:38. But we read that soon after He 
went away, in the city of Antioch, His followers or dis- 
ciples were called Christians. Now this word, Christians, 
comes from the same word that we have Messiah or Christ. 
And ever since that time, in every land, in every age, in 
every clime, there have been followers of Jesus of Naza- 
reth, and all these followers and believers in Him have 
been called Christians. There is not a land on earth where 
the gospel of Jesus Christ has ever been preached, but 
that there were some people who believed on Him. These 
persons who believed on Him have been, and still are, 
called, Christians. Now this is singular ; this is remark- 
able ; this is wonderful ; but is not this what the prophecy 
says ? The prediction was that after Shiloh came the peo- 
ple would be gathered unto Him. They would be gath- 
ered to the Messiah. They would be called by His name. 
They would be called Christians. Thus we see that very 
thing fulfilled. 

So we see that the genealogies of Luke and Matthew 
are both correct ; Shiloh has come ; Judah has gone, and 
the tribal distinction has gone ; the laws of Israel and the 
customs of the Jews all prove conclusively that the word 
of God is true, and, bless God, the word of the Lord endur- 
eth forever. 



350 APPENDIX 

2. JOHN THE BAPTIST : WAS HE THE FIRST PERSON 
WHO INTRODUCED BAPTISM ? 

Much has been written concerning the subject of bap- 
tism, and by many it is claimed that when the Jews came 
into the wilderness to hear John, his message to them 
of the baptism of repentance was a new idea. But this 
was not so. Baptism had been known among the Jews for 
many years prior to this time ; in fact, it had become part 
of a test among the Jews when a stranger wished to adopt 
the Jewish faith and become a proselyte. The rabbis laid 
down the law, even before the temple was destroyed, that 
if a man wished to become an Israelite ; that is, if a man 
wished to become a proselyte to Judaism, it was impossible 
for him to turn to this faith without a sacrifice, circum- 
cision, and baptism. 

Since the temple has been destroyed, and there can now 
be no sacrifices, the rabbis teach the following law con- 
cerning the person who wishes to become a proselyte, a 
believer in the teachings of Israel : 

" At the present time when there is no sacrifice, circum- 
cision and baptism are necessary, and when the temple is 
rebuilt, he must bring a sacrifice. A Ger [or stranger, 
literally, a Gentile] who is circumcised but not baptized, or 
baptized but not circumcised, is not a Ger until he be both 
baptized and circumcised." — Quoted from Talmudic writ- 
ings. 

It is evident that the rabbis have perverted the Hebrew 
word Ger which originally meant " stranger " to mean 
"proselyte," a person who wished to become a believer in 
the truths given to Israel. This is evident from the state- 



APPENDIX 35I 

ment found in Deut. 10: 19, where it is written: "Love 
ye therefore the stranger ; for ye were strangers in the 
land of Egypt." The Hebrew words in this text, trans- 
lated, "strangers" and "stranger," are Ger, singular, and 
Ger-im y plural. Of course the Israelites were not prose- 
lytes when they were in Egypt. 

Still it is true that the Jews believed and practiced bap- 
tism. In a treatise of the Talmud, called, To-ho-ros y puri- 
fications, there is much said on cleansing and purifying, 
meaning largely ceremonial cleansing from outward defile- 
ment. But it is also true that the Jews believed and taught 
that baptism did have some meaning in connection with 
the cleansing from sin, and they knew that in the days of 
the Messiah, when He should appear, that the cleansing of 
sin would be associated with the washing with water. Is- 
rael had been taught this in the Bible, and they knew that 
it would mean much more when Messiah came. See Ps. 
51:2, 7 ; Isa. 1:16; Jer. 4:14. 

But the word which is used by the rabbis to indicate the 
baptism of a man who desired to become a Ger, or prose- 
lyte, is the same word which is all through the Bible used 
to dip, to dip in, to immerse. The Hebrew word is To-val, 
and at times the Jews would have the proselytes literally 
take a whole bath. The candidate was obliged to cover 
himself all over with water ; by so doing he indicated that 
as far as was in his power, he wanted to wash himself thor- 
oughly. 

So when the Baptist proclaimed his mission to the Jews, 
he associated his work of preaching with the washing of 
water, but unto repentance. There was this difference, 



352 APPENDIX 

however. The Jews were allowed to do their own washing 
and dipping ; now the Baptist told them he was to perform 
the ceremony upon them, doubtless indicating to them 
that they were not able to cleanse and purify themselves, 
but there was One who had come that had the power to 
cleanse and purify them ; that is, the Messiah, the Anointed 
One. This baptism was associated with repentance ; the 
one was part of the other. They were to see that now the 
time had come when the Messiah was to appear, and the 
baptism which they had known about, to introduce a man 
to Jewry in order to make him a Ger> a proselyte, was to 
be used by this forerunner of the Messiah as a symbol for 
the cleansing of their sin. As one writer has beautifully 
said: 

" John proclaimed the coming of the Messiah, and called 
the people to repentance. As a symbol of cleansing from 
sin, he baptized them in the waters of Jordan. Thus by a 
significant object-lesson he declared that those who claimed 
to be the chosen people of God were defiled by sin, and 
that without purification of heart and life they could have 
no part in the Messiah's kingdom." — "Desire of Ages" 
chapter 10. See also Matthew 3 : 1-12 ; Acts 2 : 37, 38 ; 
3:19; Titus 3:5. 

This never meant either pouring a few drops of water on 
the persons receiving the rite, or in anywise sprinkling 
them in a slight manner. The washing was a complete 
covering of the individual who had the ordinance per- 
formed. Later, after the Saviour died, the significance 
was added to it to represent the burial and resurrection of 
the Saviour. 



APPENDIX 353 

3. CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 

The term, mediator, is found in the New Testament 
only, and is used only by the apostle Paul. It is used six 
times in the New Testament ; twice when writing to the 
Galatians in connection with Abraham, the law, and the 
promise, once to Timothy whose mother r was a Jewess, and 
three times to the Jews, as recorded in the book of He- 
brews. See Gal. 3 : 19, 20 ; 1 Tim. 2:5; Acts 16:1, 2 ; 
Heb. 8:6; 9:15; 12:24. There is no doubt but that 
Paul wished to teach the people a simple truth concerning 
Christ, by illustrating a certain custom the Jews had. 
This custom evidently had its origin back in the days of 
Abraham, but it developed into a strong factor among the 
Jews, either during the days of the dispersion the first 
time or soon after. 

This was the custom of introducing young people for 
marriage. There had grown up in Israel a class of men 
called Shad-chon-im, the singular is, SJiad-chan. Their 
purpose or their object was the bringing together of two 
parties for a marriage contract. The beginning of it 
doubtless dates back to the time when Abraham sent 
Eliezer his servant to the country of the Chaldees to get a 
wife for his son Isaac. See Genesis 24. The business of 
the Shad-chan is to bring young people together, and to do 
what he can to introduce them to each other, and to make 
them acquainted. The people generally are strangers to 
one another. This man will go to either the one person 
or to the other, and tell this one person of a certain other 
person he has in mind with whom he wishes him to be- 
come acquainted. The Shad-chan will do all in his power 



354 APPENDIX 

to assure the individual that the other individual is pleas- 
ant and agreeable, and if he would only be willing to be- 
come acquainted with this person, he is sure that he will 
be greatly pleased and delighted, and the results will be 
gratifying to both. 

Then the SJiad-chan plans to bring the two persons to- 
gether. Having done all he can to assure each that 
they will be delighted to meet the other, he arrartges an 
appointment to have the two persons meet, and in this way 
they are introduced to each other. This man after a time 
received the name of the middleman, the one to bring 
strangers together, and have them made as one. He be- 
came a very important factor in Jewish social life. 

After the young man and the young woman became ac- 
quainted and had learned to love each other, this Shad-chau, 
or middleman, would suggest that there should be a 
t-no-yini, or betrothal. At that time, stipulations are made 
about the arrangements and the agreements of the mar- 
riage, and the mediator is paid a certain amount of money 
for his labor and for his kindness. Both parties express 
their appreciation to this person for his interest and for his 
effort, and he is always remembered as the man who 
brought these two persons together. He was the medi- 
ator, the middleman. 

What a forceful illustration this is of the Mediator, the 
One Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Je- 
sus. On account of sin, man had become a stranger to 
God, and was alienated from the life of God. Eph. 2 : 1 1, 
12; 4:18. He was separated from God on account of 
his sins. Isa. 59: 1, 2. The separation was so great that 



APPENDIX 355 

man could not in anywise come to God ; for if he came to 
the Father, he must pay the penalty for his sins, as the 
death sentence had been passed upon him, and was still 
hanging over him. Gen. 3:17; Rom. 5 : 12. 

Christ, the Son of God, saw this condition of man, and 
with the will and consent of the Father, left His glorious 
throne, and decided to do all in His power to bring man 
and God together. He therefore became the great Middle- 
man, the Mediator. He came to this world and told us 
all about the Father. He told us how good and how kind 
He was, and if we would only be willing to listen to His 
voice and to become acquainted with Him, we would surely 
love Him. The Saviour assured the Father that He 
would do all in His power to assume the responsibility for 
man, would take the place of man, and would seek to 
bring man back to God, if the Father would accept Him. 
Luke 19: 10. 

Thus the Saviour, Jesus the Son of the living God, 
came to this earth, and as God, He brought the Father to 
men, and as man, He raised man up to God. In this way, 
He became the One Mediator between God and man. 
After He has us introduced to, and we become acquainted 
with, the Father, He does all in His power to prepare us 
for the marriage. Rev. 19 : 7-9. There is a wedding to 
be held by and by, and at that time we shall be united 
with the Father. We shall always be grateful to the 
blessed Mediator for His kindness and interest in us, in 
bringing us together with God, and making us one in Him. 
Eph. 1 : 10; 2:7. 



356 APPENDIX 

4. THE LEVITES AND THE WEEK I AN ILLUSTRATION 
OF MATTHEW 28 : I. 

As is well known, the week from earliest times has been 
divided into seven days. Six of these days are called 
working days, and the other day, the last day, is known as 
the Sabbath. See Eze. 46 : 1 ; Gen. 1 : 1-3 1 ; 2 : 1-3 ; 
Ex. 20 : 8—1 1. The Israelites have always had this reckon- 
ing, and have ever kept count by it. The Lord gave them 
much instruction concerning the Sabbath, and everything 
was done by the Lord to have the people keep count of 
the days of the week. Numbers 28 : 26. 

For many centuries the priests and the Levites had a 
method of keeping track of the days, and this, too, in a 
very interesting way, so that it could be observed with a 
great deal of pleasure. In fact the Jews had come to learn 
that one great object of the week was the Sabbath So 
with them everything pointed to the Sabbath. At the 
time of the second temple, therefore, there was introduced 
the following custom among the Levites which was used in 
connection with the daily service of the sanctuary : 

Seven Psalms, from the one hundred and fifty, were se- 
lected, and every morning one of these Psalms was used in 
connection with the temple service. It was something 
along the same line as we would use a hymn of praise be- 
fore we begin the service. 

On the first day of the week they would say the fol- 
lowing : " This is the first in the Sabbath, in which the 
Levites would say the following in the temple." Then 
would follow the Psalm. On the second day of the week 
they would say : 



APPENDIX 357 

"This is the second in the Sabbath, in which the Le- 
vites would say the following in the temple." Then an- 
other Psalm especially for that day would be quoted. 

On the third day they would say as follows : " This is 
the third in the Sabbath," etc. Thus they would repeat 
the same expression every day, as each successive day 
would come, but each day would always point forward to 
the Sabbath. When the Sabbath would come, they would 
say, " This is the holy Sabbath," etc. 

In this way every week the Levites would repeat the 
seven different Psalms, and every day they would look 
towards the Sabbath ; that is to say, the climax of the 
week was the Sabbath, and each day of the week looked 
forward to this Sabbath day. Thus after a time, with the 
Jews the Sabbath and the week became almost synony- 
mous. The Sabbath being the last day of the week, 
when the Sabbath had come and gone, another week had 
come and gone ; and a new week would begin at the close 
of the Sabbath. 

There had also grown up among the Jews a custom of 
having a service in connection with the beginning and 
the ending of the Sabbath. At the beginning of the Sab- 
bath, after the mother of the house had lighted and had 
blessed the Sabbath candles, as mentioned in another part 
of this book, the father of the family would pronounce the 
benediction or the blessing on the Sabbath with a cup of 
wine. This service at the beginning of the Sabbath was 
called, Kid-desh, literally meaning, holy or hallowed. This 
word comes from the same Hebrew word, Kad-desh y which 
means, holy. This service was hallowing the Sabbath. 



358 APPENDIX 

At the close of the Sabbath, as the sun was setting, the 
other service was held, and this service was called, 
Hav-do-lah y literally, division. This word comes from the 
Hebrew root word which means to divide. At this time 
the man of the house would take a cup of wine, some 
spices, a candle, and in this way, by pronouncing this 
blessing, he would divide the Sabbath from the next week. 
From this time on, now that the Sabbath was ended, it 
would begin to dawn, or be on the way, towards the first 
day of the week. So the Jews would regard the time 
when the Sabbath was divided on Saturday night, till the 
daybreak Sunday morning, as the dawning towards the 
first day of the week. In other words, now that the Sab- 
bath was divided and the week fully gone, it was getting 
to start towards another week, and by the people was rec- 
ognized as being on the way towards the first day of the 
week, or towards the first of another Sabbath. The peo- 
ple having been so accustomed to enumerate the days of 
the week with the Sabbath in view, it is easy to see what 
is meant therefore in that text, when it says that the Sab- 
bath was ended, and it began to dawn towards the first 
day of the week, or the first of the Sabbath. Every day 
with the Jews was a looking forward towards the Sabbath, 
as when it came, another week was done and finished. 

With this thought in view, one clearly sees what is 
meant by the text in Matthew 28 : I. 



APPENDIX 359 

5. THE GIVING OF ALMS. MATTHEW 6. 

The-question is often asked by the student of the Bible, 
what the Master means when He says in Matt. 6 : i , 
"Take heed that ye do not your alms before men." In the 
margin of this verse, in place of the word, alms, we find 
the word r righteousness. What does it mean, not to do 
your righteousness before men, to be seen of men ? 

It may not be generally known to the Bible reader that 
the Jewish rabbis have literally perverted the meaning of 
the word, righteousness, and made it to mean something 
entirely different. The word for righteousness in the He- 
brew is, T^s-da-ka. This word can be found many times in 
the Bible, and everywhere the word is used for righteous- 
ness. This is generally recognized in the word of God. 
But the rabbis have taken the word and made it to mean 
the giving of alms, or the giving of money. Inasmuch as 
God requires of His people a pure righteousness, and inas- 
much as the people do not now have any righteousness as 
pointed out in the word of God, the rabbis have taught the 
people that what God requires of His people now is to 
give alms to the poor folks. By so doing, they will secure 
to themselves true righteousness, and a place in the garden 
of Eden with Abraham. So in the Talmud is found the 
following : 

" It is a commandment of precept to give alms [literally, 
righteousness] to the poor of Israel, as the poor hath need, 
if it be in the power of the giver, for it is said, * Thou shalt 
open thine hand to him wide.' " 

Here the rabbis teach that to give money to a poor per- 
son is really to give the man a certain amount of righteous- 



360 APPENDIX 

ness. But they also teach that to give this alms is really 
procuring for one's self the greatest of all meritorious acts. 
Here is the statement from the Talmud, the Jewish law : 

" We are bound to be more careful respecting this com- 
mandment of alms [literally righteousness] than about any 
other of all the affirmative precepts, for the giving of alms 
[or righteousness] is a sign of the seed of the righteous 
Abraham our father, as it is said, ' I know him that he 
will command his children to do alms.' It is only by the 
giving of alms [or righteousness] that the throne of Israel 
is established, and the law of truth standeth, for it is said, 
* By alms [literally, in righteousness] thou shalt be estab- 
lished ! ' [See Isa. 54: 14.] It is only by alms [literally, 
righteousness] that Israel shall be delivered, for it is said, 
' Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts 
with alms' [literally, righteousness]." 

And further the rabbis teach that " Almsgiving [literally, 
righteousness] annuls the evil decrees, and in famine it de- 
livers from death, as happened to the widow of Sarepta/' 
These quotations are taken from the Talmud, the treatise 
entitled, " The Laws of Gifts to the Poor." And in the 
prayer-books used for the Feast of the Blowing of Trum- 
pets, otherwise known as, the New Year, and also for the 
Day of Atonement, there is found the following statements : 

" And Repentance, and Prayers, and the Giving of Alms 
[literally, righteousness], will cause the passing over of the 
evil decree;" that is, that by their giving of money, the 
Lord will overlook all the bad things which the people 
have done, and render to them a good decree on the Day 
of Atonement. 



APPENDIX 361 

It must be clear, therefore, to the reader that the object 
of the Jews was to give as much money as they could to 
the poor, and in as public a way as possible, in order that 
the people might see how much righteousness the giver 
was accumulating. So at times, the donor would hire a 
band of instruments, and parade himself with others of his 
own to the temple where the chest was located in which 
the money was to be deposited. Then in the eyes of all 
the people who had gathered, he would drop the money in 
the lid of the chest, and was often envied by many peo- 
ple because he had purchased to himself so much right- 
eousness. Matt. 6 : 1-4. 

Righteousness is not money, and righteousness does not 
mean the giving of money. Jesus Christ is the righteous- 
ness of God, and if people wish to give something to the 
cause of God or to help their fellow men, they should give 
it in a way that God only would take notice, but that they 
would enjoy the true righteousness of God. 



AN ANCIENT CUSTOM, AND WHAT IT MEANT. 
I COR. l6: I, 2. 

It is very clear from the Scripture that the apostle Paul 
introduced among the Gentile Christians a number of cus- 
toms which had been in vogue among the Jews, to illus- 
trate certain truths of the gospel of Christ. Some of these 
customs were introduced for the carrying forward of the 
work of God, since they were so strongly established among 



362 APPENDIX 

the Jewish people, and since there was much in them 
which the Spirit of God saw could be utilized for the ad- 
vancement of the work of God. 

For several centuries before the advent of Christ, there 
had arisen a custom among the Jews for providing for the 
needy poor at Jerusalem. It came about something as 
follows : It is well known that when the Jews entered the 
seventy years' captivity in Babylon, many of them were 
scattered into different parts of that great empire. When 
the time came that the Lord desired the children of Jacob 
to return to their own land, to Palestine, He had the kings 
of Media and Persia issue a decree to this effect. Cyrus, 
Darius, and Artaxerxes accordingly did declare that the 
people of God could return to their own land, and the 
kings did all they could to assist the Jews in restoring their 
worship at Jerusalem. 

But we know from the records of the Bible that all the 
Jews who went into the captivity did not go home to their 
own land. We find thousands returning to Palestine at 
the time of the command of Cyrus, king of Persia, and this 
was equally true when the other kings previously men- 
tioned issued their decree. But there were many tens of 
thousands of Jews who still remained in the countries 
whither they had been scattered. This is evident from 
reading the books of- Esther, Jeremiah, Zechariah, and 
Haggai. It is made clearer still that this is so, by the 
reading of Acts 2, the first eleven verses. 

During the several centuries before the advent of Christ, 
hundreds of thousands of Jews flocked to Jerusalem, and 
the holy city contained more Jews than it could support 



APPENDIX 363 

properly. Frequently there were insurrections, pillages, 
and other causes of devastation, until thousands of the 
Jews of the land had become poor, and were greatly in 
need of assistance. 

Then again, many thousands of Jews would make pil- 
grimages to the city, and not infrequently large numbers 
of these would remain in Jerusalem. This, too, naturally 
added to the poverty of the people, until there were large 
numbers of the children of Abraham who were quite des- 
titute. Several times each year, thousands of Jews from 
these other lands would come to Jerusalem to worship be- 
fore the Lord. At the festivals and at other holidays, a 
great many of these loyal children of Abraham would still 
Come to the temple and to the holy city to worship before 
the Lord their God. Many of these tourists were wealthy, 
having established large business interests in these eastern 
lands. When they came into the holy land, and saw the 
poverty of many of their brethren in the flesh, they real- 
ized that something had to be done in order to assist them 
in their need. 

So there was instituted a systematic method of helping 
these poor Jews in Jerusalem. These Jewish brethren in 
the foreign lands decided that they would set aside a cer- 
tain amount of money each week for these poor Jewish 
brethren, and then when some of the merchants would go to 
Jerusalem on business, or when some of the people would 
go to the city to worship, or when some of the proper per- 
sons would come from Jerusalem to visit their brethren in 
these different lands, they would send back this money to 
their poorer Jewish brethren in Jerusalem. 



364 APPENDIX 

About the time of the advent of Christ, this had become 
an established custom, and in this way thousands of the 
poor Jews were greatly helped during their poverty and 
their distress. The rabbis had taken the matter up, and 
had systematized it in such a way that the Jews in all 
lands well understood the method which had been adopted 
to assist the poor Jewish brethren. During the year, the 
rabbis would send duly constituted authorities to collect 
this money, and these funds were known as the money for 
the poor Jews at Jerusalem. 

After Christ had come and had declared His gospel to 
men, a bitter prejudice had arisen amongst many of the 
Jews in Jerusalem, as well as out of it, against all those 
who should accept the teachings of the Nazarene. In fact, 
the time had come when any person who would accept the 
Saviour was anathematized, and cast out of the synagogue. 
To the Jew who was wealthy, this meant social ostracism ; 
but having means of his own, such a person did not mind 
the effect it had upon him from a monetary point of view. 
But to the Jew who was poor, and especially to the one 
who was dependent upon the gifts of his Jewish brethren, 
this worked a great hardship, for we know that the Sa- 
viour preached the gospel to the poor, and there were many 
of His followers from among this class of people. But 
the Lord Jesus never left those who trusted in Him. 

He had made provision for the poor, and told His fol- 
lowers that they had the poor with them always, and they 
could help as they desired. But we read there came a 
famine in Jerusalem, and this famine was predicted by the 
prophet Agabus. The apostle Paul, knowing the custom 



APPENDIX 365 

which was in vogue among the Jews to help their poor 
Jewish brethren, suggested, through the influence of the 
Holy Spirit, that this plan be carried out to help the poor 
brethren in Christ at Jerusalem since it had been so well 
established among the Jews. Being impressed with the 
utility of this plan, everywhere he went he taught the 
Gentile Christians that they should adopt this plan as a 
method to raise funds to help the poor brethren. So it 
had become part of the gospel plan that every person 
should lay by himself at home every first-day morning a 
certain amount of money, according to the manner in 
which God had prospered him during the previous week. 
If he had been blessed of God abundantly, then when he 
considered his financial standing on first-day morning, prior 
to the beginning of his labors for that week, he should 
deal with the poor Jewish brethren as God dealt with him. 
If he had been prospered much, then he should impart 
much. 

The author well remembers when a boy at home in the 
early years of his life, how his father followed this custom 
regularly and methodically, for the same plan is still fol- 
lowed by the orthodox Jews the world over, to support the 
poor Jews at Jerusalem. Many a time he has seen his 
father early Sunday morning* take account of the amount 
of business he had done during the previous week, and 
then he would take some of this money and deposit it in a 
tin box which was kept in a conspicuous place in the room 
in which the family lived the most. Every pious orthodox 
Jew has such a tin box, which has an opening in the top of 
it, and around the face of it is placed a label written in 



366 APPENDIX 

Hebrew letters, the title of the^ label bearing this inscrip- 
tion, "Alms to the Poor Jews at Jerusalem." When 
friends call at the house who do not live in thickly settled 
Jewish communities, they are invited to share the blessings 
of giving to their poor brethren. But the regular, pious, 
orthodox Jews attend to this matter most generally as the 
first item of business after they have conducted their wor- 
ship on the morning of the first day of the week. 

Periodically the Jews send a certain delegated individual, 
who bears the credentials of the synagogue or council hav- 
ing this matter in charge, and the matter is attended to 
by him. He takes this money with him, leaves a receipt 
for the same, if the person desires it ; if not, he goes on 
his way, and the money is sent to the poor Jews at 
Jerusalem. 

Thus we can see how the apostle Paul introduced this 
custom in the early Christian church to support the poor 
brethren in Christ, and at the same time he taught the 
early Christian church what should be their first item of 
business on the first day of the week. It also illustrates 
how methodical the work of God should be for the carry- 
ing forward of the Lord's cause, and how every person 
may have a part in assisting the poor people that they may 
learn about the gospel of the Son of God. 



APPENDIX 367 

7. PURGING THE LEAVEN. I COR. 5 ! 7. 

As a result of the commands of the Lord to Israel to 
prepare for the Passover service, there had grown up a 
custom among the Jews of purging or cleansing the house 
and its utensils, which contained a great deal of signifi- 
cance. The apostle was so impressed with the importance 
of it, that the Spirit of God led him to use it to teach a 
great truth to the church of Christ. 

For several days prior to the Passover, the Jews began 
to cleanse the house. Everything in the house had to be 
purified, and all the larger vessels had to be thoroughly 
cleansed and scoured that nothing of a defiling character 
should remain during the days of the unleavened bread. 
At this Passover time of the year, defiling meant anything 
that had any particle of food or edible substance which was 
used by the Jews during the other weeks of the year. In 
this way everything was removed from the house which 
had any leaven of any description. Every Jewish family 
was obliged to have a separate set of dishes for the Pass- 
over days, and the dishes which were used during the rest 
of the year, after they had been thoroughly cleansed, were 
secreted in some retired spot in the house which would not 
be used during the seven days of the feast, and would be 
completely covered out of sight. 

After the house is thoroughly renovated, and all leaven 
is cleansed from the home, on the day before the Passover, 
the man of the house, generally in the afternoon of the 
day, will take small pieces of bread, and deposit a piece in 
each room and hallway in the house. These pieces he will 
leave in these places till after the day is finished, or till the 



368 APPENDIX 

stars appear. At that time he will take a prayer-book in 
his hand, a wooden spoon, and a feather. He will be ac- 
companied by the youngest boy of the family, who will 
carry a lighted candle to assist his father. When the 
parent comes to a piece_pf this bread, he stoops and gathers 
it into this wooden spoon with the feather. After he does 
this, the boy places the light close to the spot where the 
bread lay, to see if there are any of the crumbs remaining. 
Should there be one crumb left, not larger than the head 
of a pin, the man has to work with his feather, till he suc- 
ceeds in placing it in the wooden spoon. 

In this way the father and the son will pass from room 
to room and from hallway to hallway, and gather up the 
pieces of leaven as they are called. In no place where this 
bread has been deposited must there be allowed to remain 
a single crumb of this leaven ; for this act that the father 
is now performing is the last act before the Passover serv- 
ice shall be observed in the home. 

When the bread is all gathered up, the man of the 
house will take the bread, the feather, the candle, the 
wooden spoon, and a piece of cloth or string, and tie them 
all together. During his search, however, he is not allowed 
to touch this bread with his hands, for he has already been 
to the bath, and had his ablution. Should his finger in 
anywise touch any of this leaven, he would be defiled, and it 
would be unlawful for him to eat the Passover. 

After these articles are tied together, the male parent 
deposits them in a secret place for preservation during the 
night, and at ten o'clock the next morning, or, as the Jews 
term it, the fourth hour, the man will bring these things 



APPENDIX 369 

forth, and will burn them. By so doing, he has shown that 
his house is now cleansed from all defilement and from all 
leaven, and he is about ready to eat the Passover supper 
and to observe the days of unleavened bread. This whole 
service is called, "Purging the Leaven." 

Before the master of the house begins to remove this 
leaven, he makes the following prayer : " Blessed art thou, 

Lord our God, King of the Universe, who hath sanctified 
us with his commandments, and hath commanded us to re- 
move the leaven." From the time that this blessing is 
pronounced till the time the search for the leaven is com- 
pleted, strict silence must be observed. No one is allowed 
to speak a word. While the search is going on, the man 
will repeat these words : 

" All manner of leaven which is in my possession which I 
have not seen, shall be accounted null, and shall be re- 
garded as the dust of the earth." 

Then when the man comes to the burning of the leaven, 
he says the following : 

" All manner of leaven which is in my possession which 

1 have removed, and all manner of leaven which I have 
not seen and have not removed { shall be null, and shall 
be accounted as the dust of the earth." — Laws for the 
Searching of the Leaven. 

With this custom the apostle teaches a great truth. The 
leaven in the Bible is used as an illustration of malice, sin, 
and hatred. 1 Cor. 5:8. The candle in the Bible is used 
to illustrate the word of God. In the 1 19th Psalm, verse 
105, it says: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a 
light unto my path." But the word for lamp is in the 



370 APPENDIX 

margin candle. In fact the Hebrew word, Narc, is largely 
translated candle in the Old Testament. See Ps. 18 : 28 ; 
Jer. 25 : 10; Prov. 24: 20; Zeph. 1 : 12. In Bible times 
the light which people had to see by in Jerusalem was from 
candles. When a person wished to go out at night in the 
dark, he would take a candle with him to see by, and if he 
wished to show a stranger about the city who did not know 
the way, the resident would place the candle at the heel of 
his shoe or sandal, and the guest would keep his eye on the 
candle. By so doing, he would be able to follow the friend, 
and at the same time save himself from stumbling over 
stones and other obstructions. So the candle represents 
the word of God. 

The fire in the Bible represents the Holy Spirit, as will 
be seen by reading Matt. 3:11; Acts 2 : 34. The lesson 
evidently is this : Christ who was slain is the real Pass- 
over ; yes, He is our Passover. 1 Cor. 5 : 7. Before we 
can eat the Passover truly, we must have our homes, our 
hearts, cleansed from all sin, from all the leaven of defile- 
ment. In order that we might be free from this leaven of 
malice and sin, we must search our hearts with the word of 
God, the candle of the Lord. We must have this candle 
to see that not one little sin, if it be not larger than the 
head of a pin as it were, shall be allowed to remain in our 
hearts ; for if one sin remains there, the whole life will 
eventually be leavened, and we shall not be fully clean nor 
prepared to eat the Passover. When the leaven is all 
searched and found, and when it is all gathered up by the 
aid of the candle of God, then the fire of the Lord, the 
Holy Spirit, will burn it and consume it that it be destroyed. 



APPENDIX 371 

8. THE COUNCIL AT JERUSALEM. ACTS 1 5. 

Many -persons have thought it strange that the apostle 
Paul should take the stand he did at that council at Jeru- 
salem against circumcision and the observance of the law 
of Moses, and yet shortly after this conference he circum- 
cised Timothy, and frequently throughout his writings he 
freely cites the teachings of the law of Moses to prove the 
truth of the gospel of Christ. See Acts 16 : 1-3 ; 1 Cor. 
9:7-10; Heb. 10:28, 29; Acts 26:22. There is noth- 
ing at all inconsistent in the course of the great apostle to 
the Gentiles. It was quite consistent for him to do as he 
did, since he himself stated repeatedly that circumcision of 
itself is nothing, neither is uncircumcision anything; the 
keeping of God's commandments, that was everything. 
1 Cor. 7:19. He also knew that the foundation for all the 
truth of the gospel was based on the writings and teach- 
ings of Moses. See John 5 : 45-47. He could not do 
otherwise. But if the reader can understand the condi- 
tions which existed at that time, and what was involved in 
the question of circumcision and the observance of the law 
of Moses as Paul understood it and as the rabbis and teach- 
ers wished to enforce it, it will be seen in an entirely dif- 
ferent light. 

. The apostle in referring to this matter and experience 
said, " And that because of false brethren unawares brought 
in, who came to spy out our liberty which we have in 
Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: To 
whom we gave place by subj ection, no, not for an hour ; 
that the truth of the gospel might continue with you." 
Gal. 2 : 4, 5. It would seem from this Scripture that there 



372 APPENDIX 

were certain false Jewish teachers, who professed out- 
wardly to believe the gospel of Christ, but who were in- 
wardly still clinging to the bondage of Judaism ; for these 
teachers taught : " That it was needful to circumcise them, 
and to command them to keep the law of Moses. ,, If not, 
they could not be saved. See Acts 15:5, 1. But for a 
Jew to be circumcised and to keep the law of Moses meant 
that these things must be observed in the light of rabbin- 
ical interpretation and rabbinical exposition. The man to 
be circumcised must observe it with all the rites, the cere- 
monies, the laws, and the detailed punctiliousness that the 
rabbis prescribed. Scores and hundreds of laws had been 
made by the rabbis which literally bound the people as 
with fetters, that they might carry out to the very letter 
all the explanations and interpretations which the teachers 
had made and commanded. If any of these man-made 
rites were overlooked or passed by, the offender was liable 
to receive the, Ma-kath Mar-doos, the flogging of rebellion, 
which was "forty stripes, save one." 2 Cor. 11 124. 

Circumcision did not mean merely the act or the sign as 
the Lord originally gave it to Abraham and Moses. It 
meant a feast ; it meant a certain man to perform the serv- 
ice ; it meant that a certain amount of money must be 
paid for the service ; it meant that many people must be 
invited, and many things must be gone through* with. 
Everything that was done in connection with the service 
was a Mits-vah y literally a commandment, but technically 
a meritorious act. If all these details were not carried 
out, and the synod found it out, the man was liable to a 
fine, to flogging, or to some other form of persecution. 



APPENDIX 373 

But this was not all. To do the things which the rab- 
bis commanded, meant virtue, meant salvation, meant 
eternal life. One reason it is claimed why the Lord has 
preserved Israel all through these serious times of trouble 
has been because they have so faithfully adhered to the 
covenant of circumcision. Here are some striking rabbin- 
ical statements concerning this matter of circumcision : 

" It is an affirmative precept, binding on every man of 
Israel, to circumcise his son ; and this is greater than any 
other of the affirmative precepts, for there is a threat of 
excision attached to it ; and further, on account of it, thir- 
teen covenants were made, as is recorded in the chapter of 
circumcision. Abraham was not called perfect until he 
was circumcised, and by the merit of circumcision, a cove- 
nant was made with him respecting the giving of the land. 
It also delivers from the judgment of hell, for the wise 
men have said, that Abraham our father sits at the door 
of hell, and does not suffer any one that is circumcised to 
be cast into it." 

" Every one who breaks the covenant of Abraham our 
father, either by not being circumcised or by becoming un- 
circumcised, has no part in the world to come, even though 
he possesses a knowledge of the law and good works." — 
Quoted from the Talmudic Writings, Yo-reJi Da-eh, The 
Way of Knowledge. 

From these statements it will be observed that salvation, 
righteousness, everlasting life, and all the future promised 
land depends upon the carrying out of the act of circum- 
cision. If a "person is not circumcised, he is not and can- 
not be a child of Abraham, and if he is circumcised, then 



374 APPENDIX 

all the glories of eternity are opened unto him. But there 
is nothing said in the Bible about thirteen covenants made 
with Abraham. There is nothing said in the word of God 
about Abraham's sitting at the door of Gc-lien-na to keep 
out of there all who are circumcised. These things can be 
found only in the writings and teachings of the rabbis. 
Therefore it is necessary for every Jew to go to the books 
and writings of the rabbis and to learn therefrom what they 
say about these things. The people must know and must 
understand every detail and minutia concerning these 
things. If one does not observe them all, then one is 
liable to the "flogging of rebellion," and possibly to ex- 
communication. But for a Jew to endure such things in 
this life, means the loss of eternal life. Therefore to the 
Jews at that time and to the orthodox Jews since, the ques- 
tion of circumcision and the law of Moses means eternal 
life. The way the rabbis have taught these things meant 
for the people to understand correctly the knowledge of 
God in these things. 

To admit this to be true, however, would be to deny 
Christ and the need of the atonement of the Saviour. If 
the Jews could go on with these traditions after Christ 
came with the light He and the apostles had given con- 
cerning the gospel, what was the need of the whole scheme 
of the gospel. Then the work of Christ meant nothing, 
and the mission of Christ was a failure. In other words, 
the object of the Judaizing teachers was to get the people 
to lose sight of the work of Christ and the salvation by 
His blood, and to return again to Judaism and its rabbin- 
ical bondage. But the Lord Jesus came to make men free 



APPENDIX 375 

from these things. John 8 : 32-36. . It was on this ground 
that the apostle protested so hard against these men, and 
on this ground that he would give them no quarter. 
Christ came to make men free. His life and character 
revealed the true meaning of all the ordinances. They were 
a means to an end. He, Jesus, was the end. Rom. 10:4. 
But the rabbis made capital out of all these things, that they 
might fasten their own ideas upon the people, and thus 
keep them in bondage, and lead the people away from the 
simple gospel of Christ, the power of God to save men. 
If the apostle had allowed these men any quarter, and had 
permitted them to have any foothold, he realized that the 
whole work of the gospel would be in danger, and 
the plan of salvation would be made null. This thought is 
what he presented to the Galatian brethren, some of 
whom had become affected by these teachings. He said 
that if they were circumcised, as these teachers demanded, 
then the work of Christ meant nothing to them. Then 
they must do the whole law ; they must carry out all the 
rabbinical ordinances, and Christ would profit them noth- 
ing. Salvation would then be of works, and not by faith. 
Gal. 5 : 1-4. But Christ had come to redeem men from 
the bondage of sin and of rabbinism. To accept Christ 
was to nullify all the works of the flesh, and to cast aside 
the follies and vanities of rabbinical teaching and rabbin- 
ical salvation. 

The council decided according to the Holy Ghost, and 
the decrees were given everywhere that rabbinism had no 
part in the plan of God for the saving of souls. Acts 1 5 
and 16. Peter, too, thanked God that the Lord had de- 



37^ APPENDIX 

livered the people from the bondage of sin and tradition, 
and it was not a desirable thing to return to. Acts I 5 : 
10, 11. This bondage was not the law nor the ceremonies 
as given by God ; the bondage was the customs, rites, or- 
dinances, and laws which the rabbis had heaped upon these 
things and placed upon the shoulders of the people to 
bear. Matt. 23 : 1-4. Not to do any of the things the 
rabbis taught concerning these laws, meant loss of life. 
To do them, and to perform them in a punctilious manner, 
meant salvation and eternal life. If this be true, then 
there was no need of a Christ, and there was no need of 
the gospel of God in His Son Jesus Christ. This was the 
point at issue, and the truth prevailed. 



9. TRADITION OF THE ELDERS. MATT. l$:2. 

Scores and hundreds of traditions have been made by 
the elders and the rabbis, and they fastened them upon 
the people as the binding obligations of the law of the 
Most High. We cannot begin to give these traditions 
here, as they would require many volumes to merely 
mention some of the least of them. But among the tradi- 
tions which had been forced upon the people, the washing 
of the hands and the washing of the pots were among the 
most prominent. The Saviour had a contention with the 
rabbis on these questions, as will be seen by reading 
Matthew 15 and Mark 7. These rabbinical laws were 



APPENDIX 377 

very strict and extremely exacting. There was not a 
single word of God as a basis for these laws, and the 
rabbis so admitted to the people. 

In the rabbinical laws of washing it is plainly stated : 
" We have explained long ago, that the washing and bath- 
ing of the hands are derived from the words of the Scribes." 
— Hilcoth Mikvoth, Laws of Washing. Yet the rabbis 
have made the following law in connection with this service : 
" Every one who eats bread without the washing of the 
hands, is as guilty as if he had committed adultery." 
— Quoted from the Talmudic Writings, Sotah. 

We all know what is the penalty for the violation of the 
seventh commandment. It is easy to infer what conclusions 
the rabbis would reach if the people should violate this law. 
But it may be asked, Is there record of any person's ever 
suffering such a penalty for the violation of this law ? The 
Talmudic writings will answer the question for us. In 
the work entitled, Orach Cha-yim> The Ways of Life, is 
found the following : " It is necessary to be very careful in 
the washing of hands, for every one who despises the wash- 
ing of the hands is guilty of exeommuni cation." And of 
a certain rabbi it is said as follows : 

" Whom did they excommunicate ? Eleazar ben Chat- 
zar, who despised the washing of the hands ; and when he 
was dead, the tribunal sent and had a great stone laid on 
his coffin, to teach thee that every one that is excommuni- 
cated and dies in his excommunication, the coffin is stoned 
by the tribunal.' ' 

The Talmud impresses this idea still further by saying : 
"Every one who despises washing of hands sinks into 



37§ APPENDIX 

poverty. Rabbi Zerika says, in the name of Rabbi Eliezer, 
Every one that despises the washing of the hands is rooted 
out of the world." — Orach Cka-yim, The ways of Life. 

As to the washing of the pots and kettles, this was 
brought about largely by the laws the rabbis made of not 
permitting the eating of milk and meat at the same meal. 
This matter has been referred to in the body of the work ; 
but here we wish to call attention to the detailed regula- 
tions which brought these things about. In the Talmudic 
work, entitled Ma-akoloth A-souros, The Eating of For- 
bidden Food, it is said: "It is unlawful to boil meat and 
milk ; according to the law, it is also unlawful to eat it. It is 
also unlawful to make any profit by it, and it is to be buried. ,, 

" Whosoever boils together a quantity of these things, 
a quantity of these two things, equal to an olive, is to be 
flogged, for it is said, * Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his 
mother's milk.' [Ex. 23 : 19.] In like manner he that 
eats a quantity of the flesh and the milk, which have been 
boiled together, amounting in value to an olive, is to be 
flogged, even though he did not boil them." 

" And thus the flesh of a wild animal or of fowl, whether 
in the milk of a wild or tame animal, is not forbidden as 
by the written law, and therefore it is lawful to boil it, and 
to profit by it. But according to the words of the Scribes, 
it is unlawful to eat it, lest the people should go farther, 
and be led into the transgression of the written law, and 
eat the flesh of a clean beast in the milk of a clean beast : 
for the letter of the written law refers only to a kid in its 
mother's milk in the strictest sense : therefore the wise 
men have forbidden all meat in milk." 



APPENDIX 379 

It is therefore plain that these laws of the separation of 
the eating of the milk and the meat are solely upon the 
authority of the rabbis and the elders. But there were 
many poor people who could not afford to maintain two 
entire sets of dishes and kettles in order to cook the food 
for the family. The elders therefore allowed that certain 
kinds of fruit or vegetables which could be cooked in a 
neutral dish might be used when food was prepared either 
for the milk or for the flesh diet ; but after every meal 
these dishes had to receive a most thorough cleansing and 
scouring, for fear that a drop of milk or a particle of fat 
might have in some way come in contact with the dishes. 
Should this really happen, the person would be liable to 
excommunication, and also receive the " flogging of rebel- 
lion," always forty stripes save one. 

Therefore the poor people were obliged to follow these 
hard and fast traditions the elders imposed upon them, and 
the masses regarded the observance of these things as a 
duty to perform in order to gain eternal life. It can be 
clearly seen why the Saviour denounced them for making 
such traditions, but especially so because the elders rejected 
the commandment of God that they and the people might 
keep the rabbinical tradition. 



NOTE. — The author is indebted for some of the extracts in the Appen- 
dix to the valuable work of Dr. McCaul, that learned rabbinical 
scholar, who devoted so many years of his life to the teaching of the 
gospel, especially to enlighten many of the lost sheep of the house of 
Israel. 



GENERAL INDEX. 



ABRAHAM, a child of, 28; be- 
lieving in the God of, 160 ; chil- 
dren of, know little of the New 
Testament, 284 ; Christ told 
Jews about, 28 ; God of, 58 ; 
God of, might take revenge, 
268; John Baptist told Jews 
about, 28 ; letter from a son 
of, to the author, 285 ; some 
Jews still have faith in the God 
of, 324 ; talking to Jews about, 
264, 268 ; what, was to do, 28 . 
what it means for a son of 
Abraham to turn to Christ, 282 # 

Appointments, in many churches, 
200 ; in Y. M. C. A.'s, 200 ; re- 
ceiving many, 199. 

Author, against Christianity, 59; 
arguing for Jews, 143 ; attend- 
ing church, 80 ; battling with 
conscience, 68, 77, 78,80; bear- 
ing testimony for Christ among 
relatives, 106 ; becoming con- 
fused about Christian religion, 

78 ; beginning to work, 52 ; be- 
ing baptized, 111 ; brother of, 
goes to hear gospel sermon, 
173 ; child of, healed, 184, 185; 
Christians taking interest in, 

79 ; desirous of an education, 
52, 53 ; engaged in colporteur 
work, 110, 116, 117 ; faith of, 
in God, 103 ; father of, died, 
62 ; father of, pious, 65 ; feel- 
ings of, intensified against 
Christianity, 59 ; first attend- 
ing a church, 61 ; first contact 
of, with the Christian religion, 
55 ; giving his heart to God, 
94-97; grateful for kindnesses 
during sickness, 84 ; grip of, 
letting go on Judaism, 66 ; hav- 

(380) 



ing interesting conversation 
with a Jewish lady, 143 ; having 
interesting experience in preach- 
ing the gospel, 150 ; having in- 
terview with his mother, 166; 
having interview with principal 
of Jewish school, 168 ; having 
strange experience, 90-92 ; 
healed of bad eyesight, 180 ; 
health of, improving, 110, 119, 
120 ; hurt by Jewish brethren, 
137 ; leaving for America, 62 ; 
meeting with serious accident, 
65 ; niece of, desiring to know 
the gospel, 170, 171 ; not let- 
ting his views of Judaism be- 
come known, 60, 70, 73 ; poor 
health of, 46, 47, 52, 53, 55, 62, 
69, 82, 83, 87 ; praying for the, 
90 ; preaching in city where 
converted, 147 ; preparing for 
the ministry, 118; preparing to 
publish book, 201 ; publishing 
paper, 226; receiving calls 
from many Christian denomi- 
nations, 198; receiving wrong 
views of Christian religion, 88, 
89 ; sick with typhoid fever, 
180; thoughts of, towards the 
Christian religion, 83 ; uncon- 
sciously making himself known 
as a Jew, 80 ; visiting London 
very helpful, 170; visiting rela- 
tives, 166 ; visiting school of 
early days, 168; where and 
when, was born, 19; writing to 
relatives after conversion, 283, 
284. 

Baptism, Jew following Christ in, 
139. 

Bible, a sealed book to many peo- 
ple, 200. 



GENERAL INDEX 



381 



Boys, carrying things on the Sab- 
bath by, 31 ; feelings of, to- 
wards Jesus, 57 ; first prayers 
taught to, 39; must accept 
everything commentators say, 
42 : proficient in the law, 51 ; 
receiving gifts at confirmation, 
51 ; ridiculing a missionary, 57 ; 
what, must know at the age of 
13, 51 ; what, must not carry 
on the Sabbath, 31, 32 ; what, 
must read at confirmation, if 
expect to be rabbis, 50 ; when, 
must bear their own sins, 51. 

Camp=meetings, attending, 124 ;- 
Jews come to, 233, 234, 278 ; 
in Pennsylvania, 234 ; in Wis- 
consin, 233. 

Children, asking questions of rab" 
bi, 41 ; attending service on 
holidays, 44 ; becoming con- 
fused, 42 ; beginning to study 
Genesis, 38 ; believing rabbin- 
ical stories, 31 ; chanting all the 
Psalms every Sabbath, 46 ; 
Christian school for Jewish, 
299; confirmation of, 42, 48; 
demons on fingers of, 31 ; find- 
ing moneys 43, 44; how Jewish, 
are taught about Christianity, 
56-58 ; how, learn at the rabbi, 
38; how many hours, attend 
school, 44 ; influence of Ju- 
daism upon, 87 ; Jewish, abused, 
257 ; Jewish, enjoy singing the 
gospel, 253 ; Jewish, going on 
picnic, singing the gospel, 256 ; 
Jewish, in mission, 251, 253 ; 
not allowed to eat till after 
prayers, 43 ; pray much if ex- 
pect to be teacher, 42 ; pray- 
ing to Jesus, 274 ; stories told 
to, about Christ, 33 ; taught 
sentiments of rabbis, 31 ; taught 
to be conscientious, 67, 68 ; 
telling parents about Christ, 
274 ; testifiying for Jesus, 276 ; 



washing eyes of, 30 ; when be- 
gin to study, 38. 

Christ, a devoted servant of, 189 ; 
a glimpse of, 94 ; a great 
worker, 100; able to convert 
the aged, 194; at the age of 
twelve, 49 ; bearing testimony 
for, among relatives, 167, 168 ; 
beholding the glories of, 182; 
believers in, taught idolatry, 
58 ; caring for those who trust 
Him, 102; converting a Jew, 
97 ; declaring, as the Saviour, 
95 ; desiring brother to know, 
175; doctor impressed with 
the pure religion of, 189 ; does 
still heal the sick, 184, 195 ; 
first apostles of, Jews, 113 ; fol- 
lowers of, watched, 77 ; gett ng 
ready for return of, 236 ; giv- 
ing words of encouragement, 
101 ; healing of a babe in, 190 ; 
in Old Testament, 159 ; in or- 
acles of the Bible, 176 ; Jews 
following in steps of, 292 ; Jews 
not knowing the spirit of, 60 
known by Jewish rabbis, 142 
little effort to bring, to Jew r s 
265; living the life of, 90 
looked upon differently, 79, 83 
86 ; many believe in, 273 ; pray 
ing to, for forgiveness, 94 
preaching, among the Jews 
244 ; preaching, on board ship 
157 ; some profess Jesus as the 
273, 274; speaking for, in 
school, 168; speaks to the 
heart, 92 ; standing by the 
workers, 242; still lives, 176; 
taught baptism, 111 ; thankful 
for the gospel of, 170 ; the 
central figure of the Bible, 97 ; 
the Fount for Jews, 277; the 
Friend of Jews, 94 ; the Jews' 
only help, 306 ; the name of, 
not so unpleasant, 81 ; the 
need of, 86 ; the return of, 90, 
92 ; the Saviour of all men, 



382 



GENERAL INDEX 



90 ; the Son of David, 136 
the Son of God, 134; the spirit 
of, the spirit of sacrifice, 219 
why I had to preach, to men 
169 ; winning souls for, 146 
153, 156 ; worked among Jews 
238, 263 ; writing of, to my rel- 
atives, 107. 

Christianity, a life, 90,121; being 
watched, 77 ; cannot be hurt by 
ridicule, 100 : considered by 
Jews as idolatry, 61 ; does not 
abolish Moses and the proph- 
ets, 112; does not persecute 
Jews, 272 ; erroneous views of, 
taught by professed Christians, 
89, 141 ; how author began to 
regard, 83, 88, 89 ; influence 
of, good, 59, 79 83, 89, 90; 
Jews feel, is opposed to them, 
228 ; Jews see, in a false light, 
285; legislation against Jews 
in the name of, 309 ; maintains 
belief in the law of God, 162 ; 
professed, misrepresenting the 
Saviour, 99 ; seemed a sort of 
babel, 89 ; talking with rabbis 
about, 142 ; wrongfully taught 
by Jewish leaders, 113. 

Circumcision, benediction of rab- 
bis at, 55 ; why the Jews be- 
lieved in, 20. 

Commentators, differing among 
themselves, 42 ; Onkelos and 
Rashi, 42. 

Day of Atonement, 19, 44, 46, 

290, 319 ; circumcision on, 20 ; 
fasting on, 46 ; sacredness of, 
20; service on, 46; standing 
in synagogue on, 46 ; wearing 
no shoes on, 46. 

Divorce, some reasons why Jews 
may secure, 106. 

Eating, according to New Testa- 
ment teaching, 113 ; of swine's 
flesh, 90. 



Fiske, G. F., 76, 80, 82, 93, 101 ; 

admonishing author to be a 
Christian, 91. 

Gentiles, acting like Jews, 78; 
arousing an interest among, 

233 ; desiring to know more of 
God's word, 198 ; eat no swine's 
flesh, 78 ; giving, a cause for 
reproaching the Jews, 243 ; 
God blessing labors among the, 
146, 147, 153; how, are re- 
garded by Jews, 58, 59, 291 ; 
Jews come to services with, 

234 ; Jews reading the Bible in 
the language of, 211; Jews 
should know Jesus as well as, 
228 ; Jews think, can be fooled, 
204; leading meeting for the 
Jews, 138 ; led to Christ, 235 ; 
not supposed to believe in the 
Old Testament, 79, 80, 87; 
Old Testament accepted by, 
Christians, 235 ; praying to Je- 
sus, 59; securing work among, 
67 ; sentiment changingamong, 
in favor of Jews, 261 ; what, 
do for Jews on the Sabbath, 
32; working among the, 138, 
146 ; working for, different 
from working with Jews, 131. 

Ghetto, Jews of, must go to 
church 312; origin of, 308. 

Girls, enjoying the word of God, 
271 ; how, are taught, 30 ; Jew- 
ish, converted, 279 ; loving the 
Saviour, 274; not considered 
of much value by the rabbis, 
269 ; story of a motherless, 
266; telling friends about Je- 
sus, 271. 

God, bearing testimony to the 
glory of, 165, 178; believing in 
law of, 162 ; blessing labors 
among Gentiles, 146; called 
disciples to labor for the lost 
sheep, 214; caring for the 
workers, 241 ; children taught 



(GENERAL INDEX 



383 



Good Tidings of the Messiah 

226 ; why was published, 227 

Good Tidings Home, 299, 300 
getting necessary things for 
300 ; God supplying needs of 
302; several Jews at, 302 
still has a glorious future, 302 

Holidays, a time to appease God 
67; attending service on, 72 
disregarded in America, 64 
falling on Sabbath, 46 ; Jewish, 
44. 

Inquisition, Spanish, and Jews, 
. 310, 311. . 

Jews, a desire to do something 
for, 317 ; a progressive class 
of, 322, 323 ; a veil on the 
hearts of, 97; accuse believers 
wrongfully, 113; an interest 
aroused in the hearts of, 198 ; 
apparantly few interested in, 
196 ; are a ridiculed people, 
73; are apostles of Jesus, 113; 
are friendly, 245 ; are hated by 
Russians, 163; are Chrstians 
interested in? 197, 214, 235; 
are respectable, 244 ; are sup- 
posed to die the way they were 
born, 167, 170, 233; asking for 
mission services, 250; asking 
questions, 131, 134, 248; be- 
coming apostates, 56; begin 
ning to work, 126, 130; belief of 
orthodox, 19. 

Literature, Jews ask for 235' 
276 ; Jews going out with, 305 ! 
millions of pages of, distributed 
in cities, 235, 246, 261. 

Messiah, author of the true Sab- 
bath, 96 ; children taught about 
139 ; finding Christ as the, 94, 
96 ; God's purpose in, 264 ; 
illustrated in the Passover, 174; 
Isa. 53, on the, 133, 142 ; Jesus 
of Nazareth is the, 248, 265; 
Jews have rejected their, 232 ; 



Jews looking for, 21 ; Tews re- 
jecting, cause of persecutions, 
105, 106, 132; longing for 
Jews to know, 196 ; lost hope 
of seeing, 306 ; lost sheep heal- 
ing about, 246 ; Moses and 
prophets fulfilled in, 138; or- 
thodox Jew has faith in, 319; 
preaching, in Jewish Ghettos, 
241 ; presenting the hope in 
the, 193, 214, 361; proving 
from the Bible my hope in, 
168, 169, 211, 227; second 
coming of, 165, 248 ; taught in 
Old Testament, 159, 175 ; teach- 
ing Jews, has come, 248, 264 ; 
when and where, was born, 
159, 160; why I believe in, 
159, 161. 

Missionaries, a sister listening for 
the call of God among, 222 ; 
are kind, 268 ; asking questions 
cf, 134; having interesting con- 
vtrsations with, 204, 248; how 
Jews feel towards, 57, 60 ; how, 
at times regard the Jews, 59; 
Jews believe that, make their 
own Bible, 87 ; Jews think 
that, do gospel work solely as 
a business proposal, 207, 288, 
289 ; persecuted by Jews, 242 ; 
show that God loves people, 
269 ; wrong views concerning, 
266. 

New Testament, certain Jews 
believe in, 323. 325; Chris- 
tians believing in, 79; closely 
combined with the Old, 90, 96, 
112; desire to know the, 96, 
102 ; did not abrogate Old 
Testament truths, 112, 210; 
discovering many things in 
113 ; distributing, to the Jews, 
262; does not teach first-day 
observance, 112; does not 
teach new truth, 112; fruit of 
Old Testament, 112 ; full of the 



3§4 



GENERAL INDEX 



Lord Jesus, 111 ; how, regarded 
by Jews, 25, 57 ; how some of 
the Jews feel after reading the, 
232; Jews asking for, 276, 279, 
280 ; Jews not knowing, 60, 80, 
92, 227 ; Jews wrote, 284 ; lived 
all over again in working for the 
Jews, 238; studying, with Jew- 
ish rabbi, 142 ; thrown at the 
speaker, 137. 

Pentateuch, and the Messiah, 
159 ; early taught to believe 
in, 169 ; gospel revealed in, 
244, 250 ; how, is divided by 
the Jews, 50 ; showing the way 
of life from the, 167 ; what is 
taught in, 207. 

Pentecost, many believers at, 273 ' 
Jews gathering in Jerusalem 
at, 113. 

Persecutions, America and Eu- 
rope free from persecutions- 
307; among the Jewish breth, 
ren, 130, 137, 283 ; among rel- 
atives, 106; among the Jews, 
139; by husband or wife for 
believing in Christ, 106, 274 ; 
for Christ, 99, 100, 291, 305 ; 
for working on first day, 139 ; 
of Jews in Russia, 312, 313, 
314, 315. 330; one reason why 
Jews suffer, 105 ; to many Jews 
Christianity means, 288. 

Phylacteries, bag for, 65; worn 
by boys, 49. 

Righteousness, hard method to 
gain, 51 ; how child is taught 
to secure. 47. 

Rome, and Christianity, 228, 231 5 
killing Jews, 229, 307, 311; 
laws of, against Jews, 308, 311. 

Russia, and Christianity, 228, 230, 
239; massacring Jews, 229, 
243, 258, 259, 260, 307, 312, 
313, 314, 315, 324. 



Sabbath, a light and blessing, 31; 
admonished to observe, 66; 
attending rabbi on the, 43; 
attending synagogue on, 66; 
believers in Bible should ob- 
sene, 296; candles lighted on, 
31 ; circumcision on, 20 ; dis- 
regarded in America, 64 ; how, 
regarded, 31 ; Jew arrested for 
working on, 139 ; Jews carry 
no money on, 291 ; loving the, 
of the Lord, 161 ; many Jews 
still keep, 140; no burdens on, 
31 ; ob ervance of, 20, 90, 96 ; 
observed by Christians, 73, 76, 
77 ; of repentance, 290 ; of the 
Bible, 58 ; proper observance 
of, 96; rabbis speak Hebrew 
on, 139 ; reading portion of 
Pentateuch on, 50. 

Sages, names of some of the, 42; 
wisdom of the, 38. 

Scripture, interpreting the, 133. 
Sick, visiting among the, 258, 260, 
261. 

Sins, father is responsible for the 
boy's, 51 ; shaking off the, 44 ; 
the forgiveness of, 94, 95, 206. 

Unwashed Hands, eating food 
with, 59. 

Women, cannot give testimony; 
29 ; c mpared to slaves, 29 ; 
how, are regarded by rabbis, 28 ; 
no number of, available for 
worship, 29; not considered 
worthy to be taught, 29; 
prayer of, 29. 

Yiddish, first tract in, 210; how, 
originated, 127; much litera- 
ture printed in, 211 ; printing 
literature in, and English, 209 ; 
not understood by those who 
work for Jews, 138 : using the, 
126. 



NOV 11 1911 



^37U 



One copy del. to Oat. Div. 
NOV II «»'» 



